Deranged
by LeisaTheGreat
Summary: *Sequel to Needlemouth or individual story.* He swore he would return and exact his revenge. Well, he's back. And now the fate of Berk-not to mention Hiccup's life-is in danger. REVIEWS make me happy! (BOOK 3) Moments of HiccupxAstrid. Rated T for violence/injury.
1. Midnight Flight

_**Chapter One**_

_**A/N: I feel like I used alliteration a lot in this chapter... XD But anyway! Welcome to 'Deranged'. This fanfic is *kind of* a sequel to Needlemouth but not really. If you haven't read that one, it's perfectly fine to read this. You won't be confused at all. (Other than the existence of two OCs which only show up in a brief conversation.) Otherwise, you'll be fine. Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave a review!**_

* * *

_This is Berk. Since our war with the dragons, life here has been pretty peaceful. You know, besides the whole 'endangering our-lives-every-other-day-because-we're vikings' thing... But other than that, yeah! It's been great. Let's just hope it stays that way..._

* * *

Stoick lays peacefully on his clapboard bed, listening to the sound of voices echoing through the walls of his house. His people are bustling about in the streets, heading home to get a good night's rest. Accompanying them, are the squawks and chirps of their dragon companions. Only a few months ago, those sounds would have disturbed Berk's chief to no end. Dragons and humans together? He used to think that idea was crazy. Of course, Hiccup and Toothless managed to convince him otherwise.

As if on que, he hears a slight thump upstairs from his son's room, accompanied by quiet laughter. What are those two doing at this hour? He can only imagine. Stoick chuckles and rolls over, closing his eyes. Just before he dozes off, he briefly wonders about his own dragon. Is Thornado asleep yet? He'll check on him first thing in the morning, as always.

* * *

Hiccup giggles silently at Toothless, his shoulders shaking with the effort of staying quiet. "Keep still, buddy!" He scolds in a light-hearted voice. "I'm trying to draw you." Hiccup looks back down at the page in his notebook. He trails the charcoal pencil in a smooth line, adding another bit of detail to Toothless's wings.

But as soon as that one line is done, the Night Fury moves again. He stands up and bounces over to Hiccup, craning his neck to see what his Rider is doing. The dragon's green eyes are shimmering with curiosity, his pupils wide as he tilts his head.

"Ah, come on." Hiccup grumbles. He stands up and steers his dragon back onto the stone slab in the corner of his room. "Stay." He says, firmly. He backs up and presses his back to the wall, sliding down to the floor and propping his notebook against his knees. "Just a little longer, bud." He assures the dragon.

Toothless drones and bobs his head, his ears perked. He turns his restless gaze to the window just in time to see a few bats fluttering around the roof of the next house. They make small chirping sounds to one another, stretch their wings and then flap away into the darkness. Toothless cocks his head, looking back at his own wings. They're itching to open up and take him on a flight...

"Okay...just about...done..." Hiccup says, catching his dragon's attention once more. His hand feverishly dashes around the paper, scribbling in shades of grey and black to shadow his sketch.

Toothless coos and wiggles slightly. Is it okay if he moves now?

As if he were able to hear the question in his friend's mind, Hiccup looks up and smiles at him. "Yeah, yeah you can move now." He flips the book around so Toothless can see it. "What do you think? Like looking in a mirror, huh?"

Toothless narrows his eyes as he inspects the page. The drawing does look like him... Regardless, he'll never understand why his Rider seems to get so much enjoyment out of drawing him over and over. At this point, the boy's room is littered with drawings of the Night Fury. He shakes his head and licks Hiccup's cheek. Silly human.

"Ughh..." Hiccup reaches up and wipes the dragon drool off his face. "Thanks, bud..." He grumbles, setting down his notebook on top of the bedside table. He pushes himself to his feet, wobbling slightly on his prosthetic leg. "Now, what do you say we get some rest? We've got training in the morning with Astrid and the others."

In response, Toothless whimpers, causing Hiccup to frown in confusion.

"What's the matter, buddy?" He asks, petting the Night Fury's neck. Toothless suddenly gets to his feet and turns around, unintentionally throwing Hiccup off balance. He stumbles but manages to remain on his feet. "Toothless...?" He asks, following his gaze to the open window.

A slight breeze blows inside, rattling the window's loose frame and gushing crisp, winter air into the boy's room. It carries the smell of snow and wet earth, the trademark scents of Berk. But beside that, Hiccup notices something else. Something that makes him bite his lip against the conflicted feelings that spring up inside him. It's a beautiful night. Not too cold, not too windy, not a cloud in sight... A perfect night to go flying...

_ Oh, now I get it. _Hiccup looks down at his dragon, understanding why Toothless had been so restless before. Except now, the Rider is feeling the ache too. They're both hungry to be soaring through that dark sky, feeling its cool breath on their skin... "But...we have training early tomorrow...Astrid will kill us if we sleep in again..." He argues, weakly.

Toothless coos and goes around behind Hiccup, nudging him toward the window. Evidently, Toothless doesn't care if this causes their lives to be in potential danger at the hand of one, angry viking girl. He wants to go flying. And he knows Hiccup wants it too.

The teen sighs and combs his fingers through his hair. "You're a bad influence, you know that?" But even as he says this, he's digging under his bed for their riding gear...

* * *

They pause at the top of the stairs. Hiccup steals a look at Toothless, lifting a finger to his lips. With that, he gingerly lifts his foot and lowers it down onto the top step, grimacing at the squeak that follows. Instantly, he drops to his knees and peers around the corner of the staircase. Surely enough, Stoick is fast asleep on the bed in the next room. The door is open and Hiccup can see his father tossing and turning in his sleep.

_Phew. _He lifts his hand and motions for Toothless to follow him. Hiccup creeps down a few more steps, silently cursing them every time they make a sound. Toothless is tense as well, his eyes are hard as stone while he focuses on being as quiet as possible.

A few seconds later, they both reach the bottom of the staircase. Hiccup slinks toward the door, slowly pulling it open. Once its wide enough for him to squeeze through, he sidesteps through the crack and pushes it the rest of the way open for Toothless, who follows him without hesitation. Another moment of suspense later, Hiccup closes the door and pauses, waiting to see if his father will have woken up.

Nothing.

He smirks at Toothless and expertly hops into the saddle, clicking his metal leg into the pedals and buckling himself in. He pats the dragon's side and whispers, "Let's go, bud."

* * *

From the shadows behind the Haddock house, a pair of dark eyes watch Hiccup and Toothless disappear into the sky. Their owner glares daggers at them, absently running his thumb across the sharp blade of a knife. Once he's sure they've gone and won't return for quite some time, he turns his attention to the window above him. With a sadistic little grin, he shakes his head.

"Oh, Hiccup...when are you ever going to learn...?"

* * *

Silver stars shimmer against the midnight sky, looking like glitter on black satin. The ivory moon is nearly full, illuminating the island of Berk in alabaster light and reflecting off the dark water below. A dash of dusty frost has settled over the forests, making the pine needles glimmer as well. A gentle breeze whispers through the forest, tussling branches and sprinkling snow onto the ground. Other than those slight movements, all is still. Somewhere in the distance, the sound of a snow bird trilling echos into the night.

Hiccup smiles down over his home, suddenly glad he went out tonight. It really is a beautiful night... He breathes in a lungful of icy air and shivers, closing his heavy eyelids. With a gentle pat on Toothless's side, he says, "We should get home, Toothless."

The Night Fury looks back at him, noticing the tired expression on his Rider's face, the way he's slumped further into the saddle than usual. Toothless purrs in agreeance and fans his wings open a little further, baking to the right. He feels a slight nudge on the foot pedal and his tail fin snaps open, allowing him to turn around. When he does, a big yawn escapes his throat as well. He hadn't even felt his tiredness until now.

Hiccup chuckles at the sight of Toothless yawning. "Maybe we overdid it, huh?" He asks, scratching the dragon's ear. "Yeah, Astrid is definitely gonna kill us..."

Toothless coos and lazily flaps his massive wings.

"I don't know about you, bud," Hiccup begins in an almost dreamy voice. "But I'm gonna miss being able to fly at night once it gets colder..." His green eyes admire the lovely scenery around him and he finds himself sighing. "Knowing how cold it gets on Berk, we'd both end up with frost bite or hypothermia...or both." He suddenly begins to giggle as a thought occurs to him. "I wonder what a dragon with cabin-fever is like...?"

Toothless offers him a confused look but Hiccup doesn't seem to notice. Suddenly, his eyes are locked on something far below them. He quickly presses down on the foot pedal, forcing Toothless to slow down. Moments ago, they reached the edge of the village and now Hiccup's brow is furrowed in thought.

"Who is that...?" He wonders, eyeing a shadowed figure as they sprint across the town square. "Why would anyone be up at this time of night...and running across town...?"

Toothless's ears fold back, a snarl rumbling through him.

"Toothless?" Hiccup asks, noting the anger on his dragon's face. "What's the matter, bu-uuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-!" He screams as Toothless suddenly whips around-taking advantage of Hiccup's pressure on the foot pedal-and rocketing in the opposite direction. "Stop! Stop!" He shouts, trying to regain control. But Toothless continues flapping his wings like mad, seeming desperate to get home and away from whoever that is.

In a matter of seconds, the Night Fury has them back at the Haddock house. He dives toward the ground, landing with ease. Hiccup, who's heart is still thundering in his chest from the terror of flying at a Night Fury's top speed, gasps for air as he slides off the saddle. He stumbles a few feet away from his dragon, struggling to catch his breath.

Toothless continues to glare into the dark, growling furiously. He dances back and forth, his eyes scanning their surroundings. He backs up until he reaches Hiccup, wrapping his tail around his Rider's body.

"Toothless...!" Hiccup gasps. "What's the matter with you?!"

The dragon roars at nothing and skitters closer to Hiccup. The young viking quickly hushes him and turns around, positive that his father _must_ have heard that. But no lights come on in the windows, no one looks out the door to see what all the commotion is. Hiccup sighs in relief and grabs the lead on Toothless's saddle.

"Come on! Let's get inside before anyone notices us."

Toothless seems more than happy to get his Rider back inside the safety of his home. In fact, he bites down on the collar of Hiccup's tunic and drags him to the door, cooing against the boy's neck as if to hurry him. Once they get there, Hiccup struggles out of his grip.

He opens the door and hisses, "What's gotten into you?" The two enter their house, carefully shutting the door behind them. As soon as they're safely inside, Toothless calms down. He purrs and heads for the stairs, not even waiting for Hiccup to follow him. Said boy is standing by the front door, a bewildered expression on his freckled face. _What was that all about?! _He wonders. _And who was that person we saw...?_


	2. Restless Night

_**Chapter Two**_

_**A/N: Wow! Thanks for all those awesome reviews for the first chapter! I really appreciate it. (Also, there is use of a 'flare' in this chapter. They weren't invented until the 1900s but this kind of flare is basically just a small firework (which were invented in the 7th century by China) so just pretend it makes sense XD) Thanks.**_

* * *

Hiccup's room is perfectly dark. The shutters are pulled over his windows, blocking out the light of the moon and the few torches that are scattered throughout the village. He lays on his bed, the covers pulled up to his chest, one hand folded behind his head. His eyes are open as he stares, thoughtfully, at the ceiling.

_Whoever that was... _He thinks, his gaze flickering over to his dragon.

Toothless is fast asleep, little droning sounds escape his throat. Almost like snoars. His chest rises and falls, evenly.

_Toothless didn't seem to like having them around..._ Of course, Hiccup's first thought is of the Outcasts. Their presence has been more noticable lately. Several times, they've tried to kidnap Hiccup, wanting him to train their dragons for them. A few times, they succeeded in taking him away but every time, he managed to escape before the situation got too dire. What if they're back? A shiver runs down his spine at the thought of Alvin's men sneaking around his home late at night, plotting against him. That's enough to steal the sleep from anyone's body. _I wonder if-_

_ CRACK!_

Hiccup freezes mid-thought. He slowly sits up, unconsciously tilting his head as tries to listen. _What was that? _He wonders, his heart thrumming at a sightly quicker pace. Through the darkness, he notices Toothless shift in his sleep. A low drone echoing from his chest. Hiccup shakes his head and relaxes against his pillow. _It was probably nothing...Toothless would have sensed it if there were someone there._ He finds himself rationalizing. Then, sliding back down below the covers, he forces his eyes to close and wills himself to sleep. _Yeah, I'm just being paranoid. There's nothing-_

_ CRACK!_

Hiccup snaps awake and bolts upright in his bed. He knows he heard it that time. Clear as day...it sounds almost like fireworks.

Suddenly, Toothless stands up from the stone slab in the corner of the room and walks over to Hiccup, staring at him with a curious look on his face. Why is his Rider awake? What had woken him? And what was that sound he heard just now? The Night Fury coos, softly and leans his head in Hiccup's lap. He can hear the way his friend's heart is hammering. Something has him frightened.

Hiccup pats the dragon's head, thankful to have him so close. Deciding he won't be able to asleep until he figures out what the noise is, Hiccup crawls out of his bed and reaches for window. He struggles with his tired, clumsy fingers as he tries to unlatch the lock on the shutters. But, eventually, they snap open and he pulls them aside, peering out into the night.

At first, he sees nothing. Just the same, clear night he and Toothless were flying in only minutes ago. Everyone is asleep is asleep at this time of night, all windows are dark. Maybe that's why _it_ stands out so much. A stream of light fizzles in the sky, bright red on black. It eventually fades away into nothing, leaving Hiccup staring at the spot where it once existed.

_CRACK!_

Another light shoots into the sky, exactly where the other had been. It rockets up into cloud-level and fades away, just as the other had.

Hiccup takes a step back, confusion masked on his face. Why would someone be shooting flares like that? Who would want to a signal ship at this hour...? Frowning, Hiccup drops to the floor and digs under his bed for his boots. He doesn't know why anyone would be trying to bring ships into the docks but he's going to find out. He hurriedly tugs on his shoes and vest and heads for the stairs, motioning for Toothless to follow him. It will be faster if they fly-

Toothless's ears are flat against his head, a growl rumbling in his chest. His pupils are narrow as he stares at Hiccup, his teeth bared.

"Toothless...?" Hiccup asks. "What's-"

Toothless lunges forward, cutting him off. The dragon bites down onto his Rider's sleeve and yanks him away from the steps, still snarling angrily. Hiccup stumbles for a few steps, caught of guard, and nearly falls.

"What's gotten into you today?!" He hisses, trying to pull out of his grip. But Toothless won't let go. He glares past Hiccup, down the stairs and at the front door. With one, sharp twist of his head, Hiccup is flung away from the staircase. He slams against the wall and trips, falling onto the floor.

Only then does Toothless release him. The Night Fury positions himself between Hiccup and the exit, growling at the door. His tail whips back and forth like that of a furious panther.

Hiccup stands up again, rubbing his shoulder where it connected with the wall. He stares at his dragon in shock. Toothless is acting so strange. He would _never_ try to hurt Hiccup and Hiccup knows that. So why had his dragon thrown him like that? He takes a small step forward, eyeing the Night Fury suspiciously.

Toothless ignores him, still entirely focused on the presence he feels outside. Undoubtedly, whoever is out there, is here for Hiccup. And it will be over his dead body before they get to his friend. He snarls again, flexing his wings.

"Toothless..." Hiccup's voice is too gentle. He doesn't know the danger that is right outside. He had been so close to walking right into one of _them_. If he knew, if he had any idea, he'd be glad that Toothless had thrown him the way he did. But still, Toothless's Rider takes another step toward him, his arm outstretched as if to calm the dragon. "It's okay, buddy." He says. "I get it. You don't want me going out there...I don't know why...but I won't." He promises. "So just relax."

And there they are. The magic words: 'I won't go out there'. Toothless turns to him, gazing at his friend with big, sad eyes. He coos, apologetically and leaves the doorway.

Hiccup smiles and kneels down, stroking the dragon's silky-scaled head. "You had me worried for a second there." He admits, absently touching the sore spot on his arm.

Toothless notices and coos again, gently nudging his arm as if to say 'sorry for throwing you'. He nuzzles his head into his Rider's chest and purrs.

Hiccup stands up and looks out the window. _That settles it. Something is going on here. But I guess I'll have to wait until morning to figure out what it is. _He pats Toothless's head before sitting back down on the edge of his bed. He kicks off his shoes and chuckles, half-heartedly. _Over-protective beast. _He jokes to himself. _He's worse than my dad._

* * *

Astrid sighs contently as she and Stormfly glide through the air above the Academy. They don't hurry to land because they're probably the first ones there, as usual. Instead, she takes her time, enjoying the warm sun on her skin in contrast with the brisk, winter air. She grins, excitedly. _I wonder what we're training today...? _She leans over so that she's looking into her dragon's eyes.

Stormfly squawks happily, sensing her Rider's excitement.

"You ready for training, girl?" She asks, patting the Nadder's head.

Stormfly bobs her head in a quick nod, the way she's seen humans do. This causes Astrid to laugh. The blonde girl motions toward the arena.

"Down." She says and her dragon obeys, doing a small loop in the air before diving toward the ground. Stormfly's wings beat, steadily as they lower to the floor of the arena. Astrid hops off the saddle and smiles at her dragon. "Good job, girl. We're getting better at that landing every time!"

It's only then that she notices they aren't the only ones in the Academy. Hiccup waves, casually as he strolls across the arena toward her, Toothless in tow. The Night Fury seems uptight today. His wide, green eyes darting back and forth, back and forth. He lifts his snout and sniffs the air.

"Hey Hiccup..." Astrid says, eyeing the Night Fury. "What's up with him?"

Hiccup turns around and frowns. "He's worried about something." He tells her.

"About what?" Astrid walks over to Toothless, petting his head. "What happened?"

Hiccup doesn't answer her at first. When she looks up, he's wearing a dark expression on his face. His arms are folded over his chest and he, too, looks a little tense. "We saw something las night." He begins. "Someone running across the village late at night. Then, a few minutes later, we saw a bunch of flares going off by the docks."

"Flares?" She asks, recalling those small fireworks that sailors use to communicate. "But we don't have any ships out right now. All the fishing has been done for this month..."

"I know." He says, his brow furrowed. "I think it was someone who doesn't live on Berk. Someone who snuck here on a boat..."

Astrid shakes her head, slowly. She can clearly see where he's going with this. "Do you think it was Outcasts?" She asks, fearing spiking through her.

Hiccup shrugs. "I don't know. But what I _do_ know, is that Toothless hasn't left my side since last night. He's practically been my shadow ever since we saw that guy running...and last night, when we heard the flares go off, he almost tore my arm off trying to get away from the door..."

"What should we do?" Astrid asks him, dreading the thought of yet another enemy coming to take Hiccup away. Why do they always target Hiccup? He's never done anything to make people hate him! And yet it's always him who ends up getting hurt or kidnapped.

He shakes his head, slowly. "There's nothing we can do. I told my father about what happened and said he'd look into it. Other than that..." He trails off for a moment, grimacing at the sight of Toothless restlessly circling him like a shark. "I don't think he's gonna let me do anything more."

She nods. "Well, frankly, I think we should consider the opinion of the five-hundred pound fire-breathing lizard..."

Hiccup smirks at her attempt to lighten the atmosphere. "Yeah, for now we should just wait it out and see what happens."

"Besides," Astrid chimes in. "We've got training to do."

_**A/N: Ah-ha! No cliffhangers this time! (You're welcome) XD.**_


	3. Calm Before the Storm

_**Chapter Three**_

_**A/N: I like the beginning of this chapter. It feels very light-hearted and fits pretty well in the HTTYD world (if you ask me). Anyway, thanks for reading and all the really awesome reviews! Seriously makes me the happiest writer EVER! XD**_

_**In response to:**_

_auemha323: I'm not gonna give it away! That's spoilers! XD You'll just have to read and find out..._

* * *

"Yahoooo~" Hiccup's excited cheer echos through the skies as he and Toothless spiral into the clouds. The black dragon screeches, happily as he fans open his wings and spins, droning laughter when he hears Hiccup's joyful howls. The two stop twirling long enough for Toothless to suddenly shoot straight up into the air, fold his wings against his body, and drop into a nose-dive toward the ocean. Hiccup holds on tight, leaning into the saddle, a thrilled smile on his face. As the water closes in on them, Hiccup slams down on the foot pedal. Toothless's tail fin pops open and they pull up, the very tip of his tail skimming the smooth surface of the water and spraying mist up around them. "Nice job, buddy." Hiccup says as he pats his dragon's side. "Let's land on that sea stack and wait for Astrid."

Toothless gladly obeys, his tongue dangling as he flaps his wings in the direction of the tower of stone. They land easily and Toothless shakes his head, his ears flickering.

Hiccup unbuckles himself and hops off the saddle. And to think he was almost opposed to flying this morning. He just hadn't been in the mood with all the stress of the previous night. But now, as he's standing there on the top of the world with his best friend, he's more than happy that Astrid talked him into it.

Speaking of Astrid...

She and Stormfly flip in mid-air, doing somersaults at impossible angles. All the while dipping down closer and closer to the water. At one point, they get so close that Astrid actually reaches up-yes, _up_-to the water and skims her fingers through it. She doesn't seem to mind that her braid falls in as well and gets her shirt soaking wet when they finally turn right-side up. There's a brilliant spark in her blue eyes that never used to exist before she met her dragon.

Hiccup can't help but grin at the sight of his friend acting so carefree, so unguarded. She laughs and giggles like a small child as Stormfly does another flip, purposefully splashing her Rider with her tail. But Astrid quickly retaliates, "accidentally" steering her in a way that makes the dragon's head go nearly underwater. She follows up with a coy "Oops."

Hiccup laughs and sits down against Toothless, his own eyes gleaming while he watches them. The Night Fury coos and leans his head against his shoulder, also spectating their friends as they finally begin to close in on the sea stack.

"Hey!" Astrid calls out, breathlessly once they get within hearing range. "Did you have a nice flight?"

"Of course." Hiccup assures her, flashing Toothless a buck-toothed smile. "You seemed like you were having fun too..." He mentions, smirking at her.

Stormfly lands, allowing her Rider to get off the saddle. The Nadderhead squawks at Toothless and he shimmies over, making room on the narrow ledge. Astrid strolls over and flops down across from Hiccup.

"Well, what can I say?" She says, feigning arrogance. "Nothing beats a Nadder."

Hiccup arcs his eyebrows, pretending to be offended. "I'm sorry. But you seem to have forgotten something."

"Yes?" She bats her eyelashes, leaning her head in her hand.

"Night Furies exist." He shrugs, as if the answer is obvious. "So I think what you meant to say was, 'nothing beats a Night Fury'." Hearing that, Toothless makes a droning sound, imitating laughter.

"Pff!" Astrid sits back against Stormfly's chest and rolls her eyes. "You wish."

"I don't need to wish for what's true...!"

Their mock argument continues like this for several minutes until they both just end up laughing. The Riders relax against their dragons, enjoying the peace and quiet as well as each other's company. Astrid watches with mild interest as Hiccup closes his eyes and folds his hands behind his head. There's the faintest hint of a smile on his lips. He is-in a word-content. And that's more than what could be said about this morning.

Astrid frowns, remembering the near-petrified look on his face when he described the events of his midnight flight. She can't completely understand what gotten him so shaken up since she wasn't there...but that look in his eyes was enough for her to know he needed some peace. Some time away from the village when he wouldn't have to worry about possible attacks and over-protective Night Furies. That's when she talked him into going on this ride. And it's worked wonders, from what she can see. She's glad he agreed.

But still...

"Hiccup," She says, softly, hating the fact that she's about to ruin this.

"Hmm?" He responds without opening his eyes.

"As much as I hate to admit it, we really should head back. We've been gone for an hour...the others are probably wondering where we are."

Hiccup doesn't answer her for a short moment. His brow furrows, slightly and he sighs, all signs the of peace within him, now gone. "You're right." He says. "Come on." He stands up and Toothless follows his lead. He climbs into the saddle and buckles himself in.

Astrid sighs, silently cursing herself for ruining the moment. Without a word, she mounts Stormfly again and follows Hiccup and Toothless as they drop off the sea stack and take to the air.

* * *

Wind whistles in Hiccup's ears as he glides through the sky. But, suddenly, it's a lot less enjoyable. He feels bad for ruining Astrid's attempt to cheer him up but the idea of returning to the village sends chills down his spine. He doesn't know what it is-maybe it's simple paranoia-but ever since last night, he feels like he's being watched. Like there are always eyes following him, no matter where he goes. Needless to say, it's unnerving to feel like that.

He guides Toothless toward Berk as slow as possible, hoping to delay the inevitable. Stormfly and Astrid are still behind him though, clearly not very eager to return either. But he gets the feeling their slowness is caused by something else...

Turning around in the saddle, Hiccup is about to ask her what's wrong but he stops before the words can even reach his lips. The question dies in his throat as fear grips his heart. Astrid sees it too, her eyes are locked right on it. An unmarked ship sails through the water, people bustling about on the deck. They are heavily armed, he notices. Racks of swords and spears line the massive boat. Its surface is practically swimming in shields and nets and bolas.

Hiccup swallows nervously. _I don't know who that is...but whoever they are, they're preparing for an attack. _He recognizes the way they're moving, their hurried, almost frantic, running across the deck. The tone of their shouts. It's all eager, trained. These men aren't sailors. They're soldiers.

"Hiccup..." Astrid says, suddenly close to his ear. "Do you recognize that ship?"

"No." He admits. "Do you?"

"No." Without warning, she grabs his shoulder. "We should get out of here. They look like they're mobilizing for something. We need to warn your father that there's a battleship out here."

Hiccup nods in agreeance, stealing one last glance at the ship. "Right. Let's go." He pats Toothless's neck and steps on the foot pedal. "Take us home, bud."

* * *

_**A/N: I wish these chapters could be longer. If I weren't so busy with school, there would be soooo much more content! GAH! *Longing* But, you know, you take what you can get and, frankly, I'm glad I have the amount of time I DO get. If I wasn't able to write, life would SUCK! XD **_


	4. Hook, Line and Sinker

_**Chapter Four**_

_**A/N: In case you don't remember, in the movie dragons have a weak spot on their lower neck that causes them to collapse for a few moments. That is used in this chapter sooo...just a friendly reminder XD**_

* * *

"A battleship...?" Stoick's face is unreadable, his eyes hard. "No...if it were meant for a full-scale attack, there would be more than one ship." He explains. "And you said it was unmarked?"

Hiccup nods, eager to help his father figure out who has been stalking their waters. "There were no insignias on the sails or anything."

Astrid steps forward. "And the men were all dressed in pretty standard armor. I couldn't tell who they belonged to."

Stoick's brow wrinkles in thought. "You were close enough to see their armor?"

She nods, unsure of why that's important.

"And they didn't see you?" He says, folding his arms.

"Um, they might have but they didn't react in any way. They didn't try to shoot us down or anything..." She tells him, glancing at Hiccup. He looks deep in thought as well, his emerald eyes seeming distant.

"A group of armed men see two dragons flying around with kids on their backs and they don't think that's strange...?" Hiccup mutters, shifting his weight. "That must mean..."

"Whoever they are, they know about our dragons."

* * *

Toothless is curled up on the ground outside the Great Hall. The dragon's eyes are closed, his tail wrapped around himself in a relaxed fashion. He lets out a long yawn and stretches his paws out, his ears twitching. He doesn't want to sleep, even though he is tired. Hiccup is inside right now and Toothless wants to stand guard.

"Aw, who's a cute little Night Fury?" Someone chuckles as they approach.

Toothless cracks open an eye, curious who is talking to him. They sound _and_ smell familiar... Before he can react in any way, the person lunges forward. Reaching out with a powerful hand, they grip the dragon's neck. Toothless opens his jaws to roar but stops. His fury burns out when his attacker's hand finds a certain spot on his neck. The Night Fury's eyes rolls back in his head and falls to the ground, silently cursing that weak spot.

Dagur stands up, grinning wickedly at the fallen beast at his feet. He turns to the Great Hall and chuckles, shaking his head. "Poor little Toothless...trying so hard to protect his Rider...too bad it just wasn't enough." He pulls the book out of his belt and opens it to one, particular page. "_All dragons have a weak spot on their lower neck. If it is necessary to subdue the dragon in order to escape or train it, gently pinch down on that spot._" He pretends to be sorry when he says, "Oops, I guess I forgot the 'gentle' part. You might be out for a while..."

Toothless struggles with his numb body, trying to pry himself off the ground. But it's no use. His body won't listen to him. He growls, quietly, unable to produce more than a little sound from his deadened throat.

Dagur flashes him a sadistic smile. "Oh, don't worry. I'll deal with you soon enough. But, right now, I need to have a little..._talk_ with Hiccup." He shoves the Book of Dragons-which he'd stolen from Hiccup's room the previous night-back into his waist band. Lifting his hands, he cups his mouth and draws a breath, ready to release the sound he'd spent the past few weeks perfecting.

* * *

"What do you think they're going to do?" Astrid whispers to Hiccup. The two teenagers are sitting on a bench at one of the many tables, watching Stoick as talks in low voices with Gobber and some of the other men of the village.

Hiccup shakes his head. "I don't know...maybe-" But his words are interrupted by a familiar sound. The Night Fury's roar echos through the hall, sending a shiver down Hiccup's spine. Toothless sound upset. He quickly turns to Astrid. "I'll be right back, sounds like Toothless needs me."

She stands up as well. "Maybe I should go with you."

"No, stay here in case my dad wants to tell us something." He offers her a smile. "I'll be right back. He's probably just hungry again." With that, he runs out of the room and toward the massive, double doors.

Throwing them open, he steps outside and gazes around the empty town square. It's bitter cold outside and still pretty early. Everyone must still be in their homes.

"Toothless...!" He calls. "Where are you, bud?" He hears a small roar from the other side of the Hall and smirks, shaking his head. "What are you doing, Toothless? I thought you wanted to stay out front and play guard-dog or something-" Hiccup freezes mid-step, horror registering on his face. "Toothless!" He cries out, sprinting toward his fallen dragon.

Toothless whimpers, still fighting to stand up. The spot on his neck aches where Dagur practically punched him. His vision swims in front of his eyes. But none of that matters now. His suspicions are confirmed. Hiccup is in danger!

Said viking kneels down beside him, staring at him with wide, terrified eyes. "What happened, bud?!" He gasps. "Are you hurt?" He spins around, trying to figure out what could have happened. But there's nothing around, no one in sight that could have done anything to hurt him. So what happened? "Hang on, Toothless. I'm going to get my-AH!" Hiccup nearly jumps out of his skin when something smacks him on the back of the head. Reaching up, he finds his hair is wet and cold. Snow? He looks up at the roof above him. A few more clumps of snow slide off, making it look very slippery and unstable...even for a dragon. Hiccup sighs and gets to his feet. "Well, I guess I know what happened now..." He mutters. "You fell of the roof, huh bud?"

Toothless snarls in response. No! That's not what happened! Where is Dagur?! Where did he run off to?!

"Hey, watch that attitude! I'm trying to help you." Hiccup says, thinking the growl was meant for him. He hurries back inside to get help for his dragon. "Sit tight, Toothless. I'll be right back."

* * *

"There you go, Toothless. Good as new!" Gobber cheers as he and Stoick finally manage to help the dragon to his feet. Toothless wobbles a bit, still slightly unsteady, but stays standing. Immediately, the Night Fury makes a bee-line for Hiccup.

The young viking cries out in shock as the dragon plows into him, knocking him off his feet. Toothless licks his cheek, purring like mad, and nuzzles his face with his own. He seems relieved. Hiccup chuckles. "Uh, you're welcome." He says, wiggling out from under the Night Fury's huge body. "I'm glad you're feeling better." He says, smiling.

Toothless backs off, looking around the town square with suspicious eyes. Why would Dagur simply knock him out then run away? What's he up to...?

"Oh, hey!" Hiccup's voice sounds slightly irritated as he jumps to his feet and goes around behind Toothless. "Buddy, what happened to your tail?"

Confused, Toothless lifts his tail and looks to see what he means. A spark of shock goes through him. The tail fin has been torn in half, the metal wires shredded and twisted. When did that happen?

"Looks like you broke it when you fell." Hiccup mutters, picking up some of the discarded bits that are stuck in the snow. "Oh well, we'll have to go to the Forge later and fix it. No big deal." He says, flashing his dragon a reassuring smile.

Toothless stares at the tail fin in awe. How had it broken? Surely, him just collapsing from a standing position couldn't have- His face darkens in understanding. Dagur. He must have broken it while Toothless was only half-conscious. But...why? Maybe so they couldn't fly away and escape...? But what's the point of that if he isn't even going to attack them right away? At this rate, the tail will be fixed before Dagur can make his move.

"Come on, bud." Hiccup says, motioning for Toothless to follow him. "Let's go there right away and get it fixed so we can go to training later." He turns around and asks Gobber, "Did you leave the fires going?"

"No, I haven't been there since last night. I was busy taking care of Ambereyes and Scorch this morning. You wouldn't believe the amount of fish those dragons will eat..."

Hiccup laughs, hearing that. "Well, frankly Gobber, I'd feed them as much as they want. You wouldn't want them to get upset and bite you..."

Gobber chuckles, nervously. "No I would not."

Hiccup snickers and looks at Astrid. "See you later."

"See you." She agrees. "And make sure Toothless doesn't fall off anymore roofs." She smirks. "He's almost as clumsy as you, Hiccup."

The boy rolls his eyes and says, "He's not clumsy! It was slippery!"

Toothless only growls in frustration, wishing he could tell his friends it was neither of those things. He hadn't fallen off a roof. He'd been attack by Dagur the Deranged! Who, for some reason, is bent on hurting Hiccup! But...where did he disappear to?


	5. Dagur the Deranged

_**Chapter Five**_

_**A/N: For all of you who enjoy violence...this chapter's for you! XD**_

Fire crackles in the furnace, where Hiccup is heating another piece of Toothless's tail fin. The thin, metal rod glows red hot as he dunks it into a barrel of water, earning a hiss from the super heated iron. Drawing it back out, he turns it over and inspects it. There are still a few imperfections...but it will work. He lays it down on the table to cool the rest of the way before turning to his dragon. "Just gotta patch up the fabric part and we'll be back in business."

Toothless offers a small nod, his eyes never once leaving the door. This time, he's determined to sense it if Dagur arrives. He won't let that psycho hurt his Hiccup! No way! As if to voice is determination, he lets out a low growl, his nose crunching up as he bears his teeth.

Hiccup sighs and sets down his tools. "Toothless, I know you're worried about that guy we saw last night...but really, there's no reason to be so uptight. It's fine." He assures him with a small grin. "Just relax, bud. We're nearly done here."

Toothless doesn't move an inch. He remains in the doorway, his eyes locked on the one and only entrance to the Blacksmith shop. The two of them are all alone in the Forge. Meaning Toothless is Hiccup's one and only guardian against potential attack. He won't let him down.

Hiccup shakes his head, seeing that his friend refuses to move from that spot. "Have it your way." He grumbles, turning back to his work. He turns the torn fin over in his hands, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinizes the tear. It doesn't look like something that just 'happened'...it looks almost...deliberate. Like someone took a knife and... Hiccup pauses, an ice-cold realization stabbing through him. _Toothless can fly a little bit, even without me...no way he'd fall that hard... _He bites his lip, stealing a glance at the Night Fury. _And the way he couldn't move...it was like someone used the pressure point on him... _"Toothless," He mumbles, fear still thundering in his heart. "Come here a second."

The dragon tilts his head, noticing the paleness of his Rider's face. What's wrong with him? Concerned, Toothless jumps to his feet and hurries over, sniffing Hiccup's forehead as if to figure out why he looks so scared.

Hiccup gently tips Toothless's head up, kneeling down to get a better look at his neck. A jolt goes through him when he sees it. The tell-tale sign. The scales which lay over the pressure point are almost...dented. Whoever did this to him-and now Hiccup is convinced that someone really did attack him-they _meant_ to knock him out. To _keep_ Toothless knocked out for a while. But...why? Who would want to hurt Toothless?

It's while both of them are distracted that Hiccup hears the sound of footsteps against the hardwood floors of the Blacksmith. He doesn't look up, still trying to decipher what this all means. "Um, Gobber's not in right now. But if you leave your weapon here, I'll tell him to-"

"Oh, I'm not here for Gobber."

Hiccup's body stiffens, icy terror running down his spine. He knows that voice. Knows it all too well. Swallowing down his fear, he tries to muster as much confidence into his trembling voice as possible when he says, "What are you doing here, Dagur...?"

Dagur laughs, his shoulders shaking. "I think you know."

Hiccup jumps to his feet as Toothless whips around, snarling furiously. The Night Fury lets out a terrifying roar, one so loud that it shakes shields that hang from the walls. He instantly goes between Dagur and Hiccup, spreading his wings as if to shield the small boy.

Dagur watches with an impassive expression as the dragon opens his jaws, smirking at the sight of gas building in the Night Fury's throat. Evidently, Toothless is tired of Dagur. He wants him dead. But-Dagur grins-what does Hiccup want?

Surely enough, Hiccup grabs his dragon's shoulder. "NO!" He screams. "YOU'LL KILL HIM!"

And, as sure as can be, Toothless relents, closing his mouth and backing down from his towering position over Dagur. The Berserker's leader merely lifts a hand and waves it in front of his nose.

"Hmm, flammable gas really doesn't smell very good."

Hiccup glares at him, still fighting to keep Toothless from killing him. "So you want me dead!" Hiccup barks. "What kind of plan is this?! Just barging right into town and confronting me and my _Night Fury_ in broad daylight?!" He lowers his voice, scowling at him. "You may be sadistic and insane...but you're not stupid."

Dagur only continues to smile, almost pleasantly. "You're right about that much. But I assure you, Hiccup, my plan is fool proof."

"What...?"

Just then, Dagur turns, offering Hiccup line of sight of the object that's strapped to his waist. The Book of Dragons, key to all of Berk's knowledge about the fire-breathing monsters. Hiccup frowns at the sight of it. How had Dagur gotten ahold of it? And why would he go to the trouble of stealing it...? He's not exactly interested in training dragons, all he wants is to kill them for sport.

"How did you get that?" Hiccup demands.

"You really should close your window when you leave." Dagur answers, darkly. "It's so easy to climb up there and go inside. Heck, if I'd felt the inclination, I could have just stayed there and jumped you when you got back last night."

Hiccup shivers. Dagur was there? He saw him fly away? Suddenly, his eyes widen. "You're the one we saw running away."

Dagur nods. "And the one who attacked Toothless." He offers, proudly.

Hiccup finds himself grinding his teeth together in blind fury. How _dare_ he hurt Toothless?! Gripping his fists so tightly that his nails dig into the skin, Hiccup parts his lips to speak. "You know what...?" He growls. "I change my mind."

Dagur tilts his head, listening.

"Toothless."

The Night Fury tenses, already knowing what his Rider wants. He stands up on his hind legs, gas bubbling in his throat. His wings extend, a hiss escaping him. He opens his mouth, making sure to cover Hiccup with his wing so he won't get burned when he toasts this-

Dagur smirks, taking a hand from behind his back. Hiccup hadn't even noticed they were folded back there. He opens his palm, revealing a lit match...

All the color drains from Hiccup's face. "NO!" He screams. But it's too late. Dagur tosses the match at Toothless just as a bit of gas spills from his mouth. In a flash of heat and light, the gas ignites. Toothless roars in pain as fire shoots down his non-fireproof throat.

"TOOTHLESS!" Hiccup shouts, taking a step closer.

The Night Fury thrashes in agony, his extended wing slamming into Hiccup's chest, sending flying into a support beam a few feet away. While his body takes most of the hit, his head smacks the wooden surface pretty good as well. He slides to the floor, his ears ringing. He only vaguely notices Dagur striding toward him, his arm outstretched.

Hiccup barely acknowledges being hauled back to his feet. His eyes are still hanging on Toothless, who is now laying on the floor. Small whimpers seem to emanate from him. He paws at his throat with his little front leg, his face twisted in pain.

Through his fuzzy vision, Hiccup see Dagur's hand move from his shoulder...to his throat. And suddenly, he can't breathe. Instinctively, Hiccup fights back. Kicking and punching but nothing lands. Dagur moves his other hand to Hiccup's throat and squeezes even harder. Black spots dance across his vision as the ringing in his ears increases. Suddenly, his knees feel weak... His lungs scream for air but he can't find any.

The last thing Hiccup sees is Toothless's sorrowful gaze as he watches his Rider being strangled, knowing there's nothing he can do to save him.

_**A/N: Oooh! What will happen next!? XD **_


	6. Failure

_**Chapter Six**_

_**A/N: So, there's a part in middle-ish section of the chapter that goes 'I've got my axe and I've got my mace...' That is Gobber's song from the episode "Viking For Hire"... XD Not just a random string of word. I promise. LOL!**_

_**Also, this chapter is pretty dark... Personally, I love that stuff. I apologize if you don't. **_

_**PS, short chapter. Sorry...but I think it's pretty worth it XD**_

* * *

An evil sneer is plastered over Dagur's face while he watches Hiccup fight for his very life. Stoick's little embarrassment struggles against Dagur's superior strength, throwing wild kicks and punches. All of which, he is able to dodge with little effort. Soon, Hiccup's body begins to go still under Dagur's hands. Desperate gasps escape him but it's no use. The little viking's knees give out, his eyes rolling back in his head. Within seconds, his body is completely limp.

Only then does Dagur release him. He chuckles as Hiccup crumples to the floor, his face deathly pale. The boy doesn't move, doesn't wake up, doesn't breathe. Dagur nods, satisfied that Stoick will get the message. But, just in case... He tugs the Book of Dragons out of his waist band. Flipping open to a blank page, he finds a charcoal pencil laying on the counter top. In big, scrawling letters, he leaves his message for Stoick the Vast and tears out the page. Dagur places the note on Hiccup's motionless body and returns the Book to his waistband before turning to Toothless.

With a small, sadistic laugh, he says, "I was planning on killing you..." He eyes the downed dragon with a look of pride. "But I think I'll let you live. By that look in your eye, you're wishing you _were_ dead." He kneels down, just far enough that the injured dragon can't reach him. "You failed, Night Fury. Hiccup is dead." The cruelty in his voice is replaced by menacing laughter. He stands up. "But maybe you'll get lucky. Maybe Stoick will kill you and put you out of your misery." He shrugs. "Or maybe not."

With that, he strolls out the Forge, satisfied that Hiccup has stopped breathing and the Toothless is officially broken. Mentally and physically. He's won this battle. Now to head home and prepare for tomorrow's...

* * *

"Oh, I've got my axe and I've got my mace and I love my wife with the ugly face! I'm a viking through and through~!" Gobber's merry voice echos into the Forge as he sings his 'happy song'. His hands are occupied, carrying two large barrels where fish had been kept only a few minutes ago. He'll never get over how much those Needlemouths will eat in one sitting... Bumping open the door with his peg-leg, he stumbles inside, immediately noticing the fires that are still roaring in the furnace. _Oh, that's right. Hiccup is probably here, fixing Toothless's tail again. _With a little chuckle, he sets down the barrels and calls, "Hey, Hiccup!" He waits a moment but gets no reply. "Are you here?"

Silence.

"Hiccu-AH!" Gobber cries out in shock when he rounds the corner to the back of the shop. Toothless is laying on the floor, a blank expression on his face. A bit of smoke is spilling out of his nose, as if his insides her on fire. "Toothless!" Gobber gasps, kneeling down beside his protegé's dragon. "Are you alright, boy?"

But Toothless doesn't respond. His empty, green eyes are staring off into the distance. He's awake...but seems dead to the world. Gobber doesn't know what to think of it. He's never seen Toothless...like...this... His thoughts trail off as he follows the Night Fury's gaze.

Laying on the floor, motionless and pale...is Hiccup. The blacksmith scrambles over to the boy, lowering his ear to Hiccup's mouth. Nothing. He's not breathing. Throwing off his helmet, Gobber presses his ear to the boy's chest, desperate to hear a heart beat.

Toothless watches him...but not really. He doesn't really care, doesn't care about anything. Dagur was right. He failed Hiccup...allowed him to be killed...right in front of him. And there was _nothing _he could do to stop it. All Toothless can think about is the look in his Rider's eyes as he slid to the ground, as his life ebbed out of him... Hiccup looked...almost relieved. He knew his dragon would live. And he was happy about that. Happy that Toothless would live, even though he was going to die. A low, mournful whimper escapes Toothless's throat. He doesn't care how much it burns. He whimpers again, pitifully. All he knows is Hiccup is dead. Gone. He should have burned Dagur to a crisp until there was nothing left! Then Hiccup would still be alive! But no. He'd allowed that monster to live and now Hiccup, _his_ Hiccup...is dead.

Toothless sees red. He's furious. He can still smell Dagur. He could track him down, correct his mistake...Hiccup would still be dead but at least his murderer would be too. The boiling Night Fury is about to drag himself to his feet and race after that _sicko_ Dagur...when he finally hears Gobber's voice.

"Come on, boy...!" He urges, quietly.

Toothless hesitates, his eyes still on the door that Dagur disappeared through. He could do it. He could go after him...

"Wake up, Hiccup...!"

He could burn Dagur alive for what he did...

"Hiccup, come on! Breathe!"

He could...he could-

"Snap out of it, boy!"

WHY IS HE DOING THAT?! HICCUP IS DEAD! HE CAN'T BE- But Toothless freezes. What's that sound...? His ears twitch as he listens. His eyes widen in disbelief, his heart giving a jump. He knows that sound...that's...

Gobber backs off, his eyes frantic as Hiccup's body suddenly jolts. The boy sucks in a gasp, his lungs filling with sweet relief. Coughing violently, Hiccup turns over onto his elbows. He gasps for air, then coughs, then gasps again. His heart hammering against his ribs.

So that's what the noise is... Hiccup's heart. His _beating _heart. Gobber did it. He saved him. Suddenly, Toothless feels like bouncing. Why? He's not entirely sure. But he doesn't really care! He jumps to his feet, his body flooding with blissful energy as he races over to Hiccup. He bounces, gleefully. Hiccup is alive! He's alive! He's ALIVE! Toothless roars, excitedly and continues to gallop around the small room. All the while, Gobber pulls Hiccup's-once more-unconscious form into his arms and stands up.

"Come on, Toothless. Let's get him home!"

Toothless roars in agreeance. Home. That sounds nice. He prances after Gobber, not even feeling the pain in his throat anymore. And he looks at nothing but Hiccup. Cradled in Gobber's arms, looking small and fragile and broken. But alive. Breathing and ALIVE! And that's all that Toothless cares about right now. His Hiccup is alive. And he couldn't be happier.

* * *

_**A/N: I'll have you know, when I planned this out in my outline, it was SOOO different! XD None of this happened! But boy am I glad I decided to just roll with it! (I like this chapter LOL!)**_


	7. The Nightmare

_**Chapter Seven**_

_**A/N: Gosh, I don't know why these chapters are so dark lately! This chapter, as a whole, isn't bad at all but there's a certain sequence at the end that is quite...well, morbid. Hmm...I worry about myself sometimes! XD**_

* * *

The Haddock house's front room is jam-packed with villagers, demanding to know the condition of their heir. Is Hiccup even alive?! Everyone is concerned for the boy's well-being. Could it be true that Dagur, leader of the Berserkers, is the one who did this?! Does this mean war...?

Everyone goes quiet when a noise catches their attention. The sound of heavy footsteps coming down the stairs that lead to Hiccup's room. No more noise pursues. They all wait, eagerly, to hear what their chief has to say.

Stoick ducks into the front room. There's a tight look on his face, a weariness in his eyes. He holds up his hands, motioning for everyone to listen. Even though they already were. "He'll live." He says. But before the crowd can burst into excited conversation, he motions for them to remain quiet. "But he's in bad shape. He won't be waking up anytime soon. And..." He sighs, deeply. "There's one more thing. When Gobber found him...there was a note..."

The crowd watches him with grim expressions. What could possibly have been on that note...?

Stoick plants his hands on his hips. "The Berserkers want war." He announces. "It was Dagur who tried to kill my son."

The crowd is-in a word-outraged. Their voices are boiling with fury and resentment at the knowledge that the tribe they'd signed a peace treaty with, not three weeks ago, would do something like this! How _dare_ Dagur do this?!

Once more, Stoick pacifies the crowd with a wave of his hand. "We will discuss this further in the Great Hall. For now, Hiccup needs a _quiet_ place to rest until he's recovered."

Taking the hint, the crowd begins to disperse. Only a few people remain after the rest have departed. Astrid is sitting on the floor in a far corner, looking distant and wrapped in thought. The only other remainder is Gobber. He is standing by the stairs, acting as a guard so no one could go up and disturb Hiccup's sleep. Not that anyone could wake him anyway... Even Toothless had been unable to rouse a reaction from his friend.

Stoick eyes them both before walking over to the viking girl. He places a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Astrid, if you wouldn't mind, I need someone to stay with him while Gobber and I discuss our plans with the villagers..."

She nods, jerkily. "Yes sir..." Astrid stands up and folds her arms over her chest, quietly crossing the room to the stairs. Gobber steps out of her way, sensing her distress. At the bottom the staircase, she hesitates. She hasn't seen him yet...not since early this morning when Toothless fell off the roof. Now, she's wondering if even that had been an accident. Was Dagur to blame for everything? She wonders how bad he is... Stoick said he wouldn't wake up for a while. What did that mean? Hours? Days? What? She closes her eyes and takes a steadying breath before slowly beginning to climb the steps.

"Thank you, Astrid." Stoick calls behind her. "We'll be back soon."

* * *

Toothless is laying in Hiccup's room, on his stone slab. There's a fresh bucket of water placed beside it. He's supposed to drink a lot, in order to help heal his burned throat. But swallowing that much water makes him feel sick. Especially on an empty stomach. Of course, he isn't in the mood to eat either. Gobber tried to get him to eat something but he refused. He's just too worried about Hiccup to do anything else right now...

Once, he got up and walked over to the boy. He tried everything. Nudging him, cooing at him, even roaring at him once he got frustrated. Nothing works. Hiccup is alive...so why won't he wake up? Why does he just lay there and sleep? It's like the aftermath of the battle with the Red Death all over again! Only this time, Toothless is pretty sure his Rider gets to keep his leg. That's a plus, at least...

Now, the Night Fury has given up trying to wake him. Instead, he just lays on his make-shift bed and tries to stay awake, despite his heavy eyelids. He won't fail Hiccup again...

That's when he hears someone coming up the steps. Instinct causes him to tense, even though he can clearly smell that it's Astrid. She would never hurt Hiccup. And so Toothless relaxes again.

The viking girl tentatively pokes her head around the corner. She spots Toothless on his bed and offers a tight smile. At least he's okay. More or less. Apparently, Dagur had caused him to burn his throat pretty badly. He must be in a lot of pain, even though he won't show it. After scrutinizing her friend's dragon, she finally musters up the courage to look at Hiccup himself.

The small boy is laid on his bed, quilts pulled up to his chest. His hands are folded over his stomach, making him appear almost as if he were only sleeping instead of unconscious. His skin is pale and there's a little bandage wrapped around his head. According to Gobber, he must have hit his head as well because it was oozing a pretty substantial amount of blood. Great. Just what Hiccup needs. Another head-injury. Although, all of those things seem trivial compared to the real proof. Two massive, purple bruises wrap all the way around his neck. Marks that reflect the trauma he was forced to endure. The event that had nearly stolen his life.

Astrid grimaces at the sight of him, looking broken and defenseless. Hiccup had never really been the 'warrior' type but seeing so utterly helpless...is sort of scary to her. She gets the sudden, insatiable urge to just lock all the doors and windows, grab a sword in one hand and an axe in the other and stand guard over him until he wakes up. However long that might be...

Toothless coos at her, as if sensing her protectiveness kicking in.

She smiles, sadly at him. "I'm sorry this happened." She says. "I know you did everything you could to protect Hiccup. I'm sorry I didn't see the signs before...it's so obvious now that I look back..." She sighs, shakily and runs a hand through her hair. "But...you shouldn't worry. Hiccup is going to be fine. It's just a matter of time before he wakes up and is back to his old self again...you'll see."

Neither of them are certain who her words are meant to convince. Her or Toothless? Regardless, there's nothing either of them can do right now. Except wait.

* * *

_"Where am I...?" Hiccup wonders as he gazes around. He's in an utterly dark room. No light is shining. He can't see his hand in front of his face. He should probably be scared. He has no idea how he got here or even where 'here' is. But he isn't. There's an odd calmness about him. Somehow, he knows this isn't real. Could it be a dream then? He tries pinching himself to wake up, even closing his eyes and willing himself to snap out of it. That doesn't work either. With a tired sigh, he plants his hands on his hips and tries to think of another way to escape. _

_ He can't remember what it is, but he knows there's something important happening in the real world. Gods, if only he had some light! If only he had-_

_ "Toothless...!" He gasps, turning a quick circle. Is he here? Hiccup would never go anywhere without Toothless. "Toothless!" He shouts, cupping his hands around his mouth to help amplify the sound. "Are you here, bud?" He calls the dragon's name several more times but gets no response._

_ He's about to give up when he suddenly hears something. A wailing screech that's...oddly familiar to him. Turning around, he finds something within the darkness. A light! It's bright, hot and a brilliant shade of purple. So THAT'S what the noise is! Hiccup smiles as he runs toward the plasma blast. "Toohtless! Is that you, buddy?!"_

_ He stops in his tracks, sucking in a shocked breath as pain shoots through him. His entire body screams in agony and soon, he finds himself crumpling to the ground. There's a tightness around his neck that makes him want to panic. It feels like someone is choking him..._

_ "Tooth-less!" He manages to cry out. Hiccup flinches as another plasma blast is fired into the air, slicing through the dark like a knife. Only this time, the brightness continues to grow. The shadows recede and disappear into oblivion, leaving Hiccup with a perfect view of his surroundings._

_ He's in the blacksmith shop, his pressed to a support beam. His head aches and his ears are ringing. Someone is choking him but he can't see who it is. He wants to fight them, to escape from their painful grip...but he can't move. His entire body feels numb and his limbs won't do what he tells them to do._

_ But, suddenly-_

_ Toothless busts through the door, roaring furiously at Hiccup's attacker. He opens his mouth, a plasma blast charging in his throat. Hiccup looks at his attacker, forcing a defiant smile. Toothless is here now. He's as good as saved. But his attack only laughs. And Toothless never fires his weapon._

_ Hiccup watches in horror as Toothless suddenly bursts into flame, crying out in agony as he thrashes about. Hiccup fights back now, desperate to help his dragon. But whoever is choking him is doing a pretty good job. He doesn't budge an inch and grip only tightens._

_ Toothless collapses to the ground, sizzling with smoke and embers. The smell of burned flesh assaults Hiccup's senses. Tears spring to his eyes. _

_ No... No...! NO!_

* * *

"TOOTHLESS!" He screams in desperate terror as he snaps awake.


	8. Shock

_**Chapter Eight**_

_**A/N: Short chapter. I apologize. By the way, we're about a third of the way through. So...yeah. Gonna be a long fanfic XD Sorry if that's not your 'cup of tea'.**_

* * *

It's late evening by the time Stoick returns home. A bit of glaring sunlight manages to squeeze through the gaps in the trees, flaming against the dark backdrop of a bruised horizon. Berk's chief sighs deeply and pulls off his helmet, rubbing his aching head. The village seems unanimous. The Berserkers came onto their land, invaded their home, attacked their heir...! If they want war...Berk is going to give them a war. Stoick knows this won't be easy to explain to Hiccup. His son had always been the pacifist type. More likely than not, Hiccup will think it's his fault that Berk is in danger of battle and try to convince Stoick to back down. Of course, there's nothing Stoick can do if the villagers decide they want to fight the Berserkers. He will have to back them up. That's his job.

All this stress is starting to give him a major headache. And yet...he's worried about his son. Has he woken up yet? Or is he still unconscious...? Unconscious by Dagur's hands... Stoick grinds his teeth together and replaces his helmet onto his head. _That treacherous scumbag had better hope he doesn't meet me in a dark alley...! _

At that point, Stoick has reached his front door. He hesitates, listening. He hopes, with all his being, to hear his son's voice. But everything is silent on the other side of the wall. He sighs again and opens the door. It makes a horrendous creak as it swings ajar and Stoick goes inside, closing it behind him.

He moves slowly, wearily. Peeling off his cape, he tosses it over the squat table in the corner and carefully lays his helmet beside it. He hears a quiet voice upstairs, accompanied by the soft coos of his son's dragon. Toothless must be at it again, trying to wake his Rider. Stoick shakes his head, a deep frown on his face. When will they learn that it takes time for someone to recover from something like that? They can't expect Hiccup to wake up just because they ask nicely...

* * *

Astrid watches with large, blue eyes as Hiccup's eyes twitch again. His head lulls to the side and his hand gives a little jump. His breaths are uneven now as well. And while that part has her a little concerned, she's too excited to be scared. With all this movement, he's bound to wake up soon! Within the next hour, maybe! She smiles, butterflies fluttering in her stomach at the thought of seeing those innocent, green eyes of his... She freezes, a strange look coming over her face. _Did I really just think that...? _She bites her lip. _Wow...all the anticipation must be getting to me... 'innocent green eyes...' Ha...Haha... _She pushes those thoughts away, trying to ignore the way her cheeks heat up when she thinks about him.

Instead, she switches her focus to Toothless. The Night Fury seems even more excited than she is. He is waiting patiently by his Rider's side, practically buzzing with glee. His own emerald eyes dart around the boy's face. He leans down and sniffs him before cooing, softly. A gentle 'wake up', she realizes.

Smiling, she decides that maybe human language will better pull him out of his comatose state. Gingerly, she scoots a little closer and places a hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "Hiccup," She whispers. "Come on, wake up."

His eyes squeeze tighter shut than before, a quiet sound comes from his throat. Somewhere between a moan and a cracking voice.

"Snap out of it." She says, a little louder. "It's time to wake up."

Both of them go still when his lips part, as if to say something. Hiccup's brow furrows, suddenly. As if he's in pain or is having a nightmare.

Astrid glances at Toothless, as if trying to see if the dragon can sense what's wrong. The Night Fury whimpers at the sight of him, coming a bit closer. He nudges Hiccup's cheek, trying once more to wake him. At first, it seems to not work... but then-

Without warning, Hiccup's eyes snap open. His body jolts in his bed, an agonized scream wrenching from his throat. It sounds a bit like he cried out Toothless's name.

Astrid jumps back, her heart giving a startled jump at the sudden event. Toothless's eyes go wide and he sceeches in surprise, stumbling backward into the wall.

After his outburst, Hiccup goes silent again. His eyes remain open but they look foggy, unseeing. His body trembles slightly. His breaths are short and uneven, as if he can't breathe...

A second later, Stoick thunders up the stairs. His eyes are frantic as he takes in the shivering form of his son. "What happened?!" He demands, obviously having heard the scream.

Astrid shakes her head, quickly. "I-I don't know! He just...screamed for no reason!" She says, still staring at the quivering, gasping boy. "Maybe...it was a nightmare...?" She offers.

Stoick sits down on the edge of his son's bed, eyeing Hiccup's pale, blank face. "Hiccup...?" He asks, slowly. "Are you okay?"

Hiccup doesn't respond. He only continues to stare at the ceiling, evidently still dead to the world. His breathing evens out a little but that's the only thing that improves.

Stoick grabs his shoulders-a little too rough for Astrid's taste-and shakes him. "Son!" He barks loudly, hoping his shouts will drown out the deathly silence in Hiccup's ears.

But Hiccup just lays there, his eyes gazing at nothing.

"He's in shock..." Astrid mutters, recognizing those symptoms. The sudden lack of oxygen in his blood must have triggered it. She bites her lip. _We know what's wrong with him...but how do we fix it? _

Stoick nods. "Astrid, get Gothi. She'll know what to do." He says, releasing his grip on Hiccup's shoulders. There's a pained look in the viking's eyes. As if it physically hurts him not being able to do anything to help his son...

Astrid quickly agrees and hurries to the stairs. _Just hang in there, Hiccup. You're going to be fine!_

* * *

Toothless stares at his Rider in horror. Pure horror. He whimpers, unsure of what to do. Why is Hiccup acting like that? He's...awake now, right? His eyes are open... But he screamed like he was in pain. And Toothless is pretty sure he called his name. But...why? What's wrong with him? Astrid said something about him being in 'shock' but what does that mean?! Is Hiccup sick now too? With a pitiful whine, Toothless edges closer to his friend.

The dragon leans his head on Hiccup's chest and closes his eyes. For the first time in his life, he wishes he could speak his friend's language. That way, he could ask Stoick what's happening to his little Hiccup... But he can't. So the Night Fury will just have to settle with being there next to him and waiting. Gods, he's getting tired of waiting...


	9. Back from the Dead

_**Chapter Nine**_

_**A/N: There's a bit of Astrid angst in this chapter. Sorry if that stuff annoys you, I promise it doesn't last TOO long. Also, there's a 'scene skip' in this that really isn't a legit change in scene. It's just switching from Astrid's POV to Toothless's. There's no change in time or place, just narrator.**_

_**There's also quite a bit of gooshiness... XD You have been warned.**_

* * *

Several hours later, Hiccup's condition hasn't changed a bit. His eyes remain open, a blank expression on his face. His body is still trembling a little, his breaths slightly irregular.

Gothi arrived and diagnosed him, coming to the same conclusion as Astrid. As for treatment...all they can do is wait and hope for the best. She left soon after telling them that, returning to her hut to look for something that might help Hiccup snap out his trance-like state.

Disgruntled and frustrated, Stoick stands up and paces his son's room. Berk's chief mumbles to himself, a scowl on his face. As this stressful day goes on, tracking down Dagur and beating him into a bloody pulp is starting to sound better and better to the furious viking leader. "Filthy traitor...attacking my son..."

Seated on a stool beside Hiccup's bed, Astrid lets out a small sigh. Having decided she no longer cares what anyone else thinks, she reaches out takes Hiccup's hand. It's cool to the touch but not deathly cold, at least. Not like before. A little flicker of hope sparks in her heart when she notices that, at least, he's warmed up a bit. Maybe that means he's improving...? Absently, she runs her thumb over the back of his hand, her mind lost in thought. More specifically, the thought of what happened just a few weeks ago. When it was her that was bed-ridden and Hiccup who was crazy with concern. He'd gone out and risked his life to save her, confronting a massive, poisonous dragon...and all for her sake. He could have died, doing something like that. But he did it anyway. Why? Astrid hasn't completely figured that part out yet. She's not stupid. She knows he has feelings for her; she can see it every time he looks at her. Heck, she knows she has feelings for him too! But, surely, he can't like her so much as to go out nearly get killed trying to get an antidote for her...right?

...Right?

Maybe that's why she feels so terrible right now. Why she feels so useless. He did so much for her, saved her life. And all she can do to help him is sit here and hope he wakes up soon...if he wakes up at all...

"Astrid." Stoick's voice interrupts her train of thought. He's stopped pacing and is now standing at the top of the stairs, an almost gentle look on his face. "No use in just sitting around and moping." He reminds her. "Are you hungry? I can make you something to eat." Obviously, he noticed her guilty expression and realized his behavior isn't helping.

The young blonde is about to refuse. She doesn't feel like eating anything. But apparently her stomach has other ideas. It lets out a huge growl, causing her to blush. "Um...maybe that would be a good idea."

Stoick nods, smirking at her. "Come on then." He says, motioning for her to follow him.

Astrid stands up but stops before taking a step. She realizes, with a pang, that Hiccup's hand is still laying inside hers. With a small, defeated sigh, she releases it. Placing it back on the bed, she casts one more longing look into his empty, green eyes before turning away and following Stoick downstairs.

* * *

Toothless watches them go. The Night Fury is still laying beside his Rider, an equally distant look on his face. It's _that_ time of day again. The time just before the sun sets, when it's sinking behind the horizon, causing it to melt into shades of vibrant orange and fuchsia. Hiccup's favorite time of day...solely because that's when the two of them usually go flying together. Right now, the dragon's wings are itching to move. To carry Toothless and Hiccup off into the setting sun, just as they have everyday for months. A droning sigh escapes the dragon as he peeks up at Hiccup for the hundredth time. Just as always, his young friend is totally out-of-it.

Or so it seems, at first.

If Toothless only relied on his sense of sight, then he would think nothing had changed. But he doesn't. The Night Fury's ears perk up, twitching as he hears something. For a moment, he thinks his ears are playing tricks on him...until-

THERE IT IS AGAIN!

He jumps to his feet, eyeing Hiccup closely. Could it be true?! Moving a little closer, Toothless coos at him. Nudging his Rider's face, as if to entice him into making the sound again.

A moment later, Hiccup responds. He blinks, slowly, tiredly. Another little moan coming from his lips.

Toothless stares, wide-eyed. He hops to his feet and wiggles, excitedly. What is he supposed to do now, though?! Hiccup is waking up, right?! RIGHT?! Of course he is! Toothless goes over to him again and pushes the boy's cheek once, twice, three times... Wake up, Hiccup! Wake up!

* * *

The first thing Hiccup notices when he wakes up is a muffled sound next to his ear. His head is ringing loudly, so he can't quite tell what it is. It sounds so familiar...he feels like he should know it by heart...but he can't seem to recall it... And trying to remember is making his head hurt. In fact, his whole body hurts. His head, his throat, his chest... Everything aches. And he feels so heavy, like his body is made of lead.

"Ooohh..." He groans, squeezing his eyes shut. _What happened...?_

And there goes the noise again. Like a cat purring, only about three times as loud. He also hears a bunch of thumps, like something huge is jumping around his room.

Hiccup nearly jumps out of his skin when the thing-whatever it is-touches him. It runs its scaly head against his cheek, purring like mad. Only then does Hiccup's memory snap back into place. His eyes spring open as his heart gives a little jump. _Oh gods... _He turns, his eyes widening. "TOOTH-LESS!" He gasps at the sight of his dragon, tears stinging his eyes, both in relief at seeing his dragon alive and agony at the pain in his throat. _It wasn't real! _He realizes. _It was just a nightmare!_

The Night Fury screeches, gleefully and immediately licks Hiccup's face, literally jumping for joy, seeing his friend awake again. And this time, it's the right kind of awake. Not just staring at the ceiling.

Hiccup tries to sit up but fails, the heaviness of his body working against him as he simply collapses back down again. He swallows, trying to soothe the pain in his throat. That only makes it worse. And to top it all off, the room is spinning in front of him. He still can't remember what happened to him...only that, whatever it was, included Toothless...and fire...and... He squints, trying to force the memories back...

Nothing. Blank.

He sighs and turns a rueful look to Toothless. With a little, half-hearted smirk, he mouths 'hey, bud'.

Oddly enough, that little act causes Toothless to go bonkers. He jumps to his feet and roars. Hopping up and down as if to shake the whole house.

Hiccup watches, confused about what his dragon is trying to do... Really, he should have pieced it together. After all, he was unconscious. In his bed. At his _house_. It should have been obvious that his father would be there. But somehow, it wasn't. So when Stoick and Astrid suddenly appear at the doorway, having heard the Night Fury's cry and scrambled upstairs to see what's happening... Hiccup doesn't really know what to do. And the current fogginess of his mind doesn't help either.

"Son." Stoick breathes, seeing his boy's focused, comprehending eyes. Relief floods through him and he runs over, scooping Hiccup into his arms and nearly crushing the boy in his tight embrace. "Thank Thor you're finally awake..." He whispers, still clinging to his son's weakened body.

Astrid remains by the door, allowing Stoick and Hiccup to have some father-son time. Frankly, she's just relieved to see Hiccup awake.

_Wow...Dad's hugging me...he must've been pretty worried. _Hiccup can't help but wonder how long he's been out. "H-hey Da-ad." Hiccup manages in a broken voice.

Stoick looses his grip and lays Hiccup back down on the bed. "How are you feeling?" He asks, noticing the swimmy look in his son's eyes.

Hiccup cracks a weak smile, blinking away the dizziness. "L-ike I got tr-ampled by a dra-gon."

Stoick chuckles, ruffling his hair. "That's to be expected."

Only then does Hiccup frown. "Dad," He begins. "What ha-ppened?"

Stoick's brow furrows. "Don't you remember?"

The teen only shakes his head.

In the doorway, Astrid folds her arms over chest, a concerned expression flickering across her face. Could the lack of oxygen caused him to have some kind of brain trauma...? Is that why he doesn't remember? Or...maybe it's just because it was frightening experience. Maybe his mind is suppressing it on purpose. But if that's the case, is it a good idea to remind him...?

"It was Dagur." Stoick tells him after a moment of hesitation. "He ambushed you while you were in the Forge..."

Hiccup bites his lip. That does sound...familiar. Although only slightly. Did that really happen? He wouldn't put it past Dagur to- Hiccup's breath catches in his throat, all the color draining from his face. Then the memory hits him. And it hits hard.

* * *

_He's struggling, fighting for his life. But the hands are unrelenting, tight, crushing his throat. He can't breathe, can't move. Blackness starts to swallow his mind and sight as his body gives out. Dagur's menacing laughter echos in his head as he sinks to the floor. He lands hard, collapsing at Dagur's feet. _

_ Toothless is watching him with a sorrowful expression. Smoke is spilling out of his mouth where Dagur nearly killed the dragon with his own fire... Relief floods his body when he realizes Toothless is going to be okay. He, at least, isn't going to die. Even more relief comes when he notices he can't feel the pain anymore. _

_ His body is numb. His vision goes black. He still can't find air...but that's okay. His lungs have stopped asking for it. Everything goes silent, even the frantic pulses on his heart._

* * *

"Hiccup...?" Astrid asks for the third time, touching his shoulder.

"H-he..." Hiccup stammers, his face pale. "Tried to kill me..."

Stoick and Astrid grimace at the terrified expression on his face.

_No..._ Hiccup corrects himself. _my heart stopped...Dagur DID kill me..._


	10. Resolve

_**Chapter Ten**_

_**A/N: Kind of just a set-up chapter. Not overly exciting but it foreshadows what's going to happen later on. (And one extremely mushy romance moment near the end...I guess I'm just a sucker for that stuff... XD)**_

_**Also, has anyone read the HTTYD book series...? I'm thinking about buying it for my birthday and was wondering if it was any good... (Yeah, I know it's for 12 year olds but...meh.)**_

* * *

"Easy now..." Stoick says as he helps Hiccup ease out of the bed. Placing a hand in the center of his son's back, he offers him a gentle nudge to get him on his feet. Both Stoick and Astrid tense up when Hiccup wobbles a bit, seeming off balance and dizzy. Luckily, he catches himself and doesn't fall.

"Just take is slow..." Astrid urges him. She and Toothless hover very close to him, just in case.

He flashes them a look, his eyebrow arched. "G-geez guys, I feel okay n-ow. I'm not _that_ fra-gile. Besides, It's not like I'll shatter if I tr-ip or something."

Astrid frowns at him. "We're only trying to help." She reminds him. "And you shouldn't talk so much. You heard Gobber, Gothi says your throat will improve _as long as_ you don't strain it!"

He sighs but doesn't speak. That little bit of speech had been enough to make his bruised throat sting almost unbearably. He swallows the pain and focuses on not falling over himself. Within a few seconds, he manages to straighten up and take a small step away from the bed.

Toothless coos at him from where he's just climbed into the rafters, causing his Rider to smirk. The Night Fury jumps down and goes over to him, sniffing Hiccup's cheek and purring, loudly.

Hiccup then decides that this is worth a little bit of pain. "Hey, bud." He whispers. "I'm gl-ad you're okay too..." He shivers at the memory of his nightmare. _I'll never let that happen...not in a million years._

Stoick pats Hiccup's shoulder and smiles at him. "And we're glad you're okay. You had us worried there for a while, son."

Astrid nods, despite herself.

Hiccup finds himself blushing, coyly at them and nods. "S-sorry." He mutters. "I didn't mean to s-scare anyone..."

"It's not _your_ fault." Astrid suddenly grumbles, her tone dark. Clearly, she's thinking about Dagur. All of them are. At the thought of him, goosebumps crawl all over Hiccup's skin. He tried to kill him...and nearly succeeded. Hiccup would have been dead if not for Gobber. And Toothless...Thor only knows what would have become of him if his Rider really had died.

Stoick nods again, deciding this isn't what they need to be thinking about right now. After all, Hiccup just woke up! He survived being strangled by Dagur the Deranged! That's a cause for some happiness, right? Right. "Why don't you go lay down and rest a little more. I'll make you something to eat and then go inform the villagers that you're awake."

_The villagers? _Hiccup tilts his head. "The villagers know?"

"Of course they know." Astrid snorts. "They were threw a fit when they heard what happened! And who can blame them? It's no wonder they want a war-" She freezes, flinching as the word escapes her mouth. She hadn't meant to bring that up just yet... Oops.

But Hiccup hears it all the same. "War?" He gasps, looking at his father. "What does she m-mean 'war'? War with wh-who?!"

Stoick sighs and shoots her a glare. He'd meant to tell Hiccup later, after he was feeling better. "Dagur left a note in the Forge. Gobber found it when he rescued you. Apparently, by attacking you, Dagur was declaring war on us."

And there it is. The room-bending dizziness washes over Hiccup in a powerful wave. He staggers dangerously but Stoick catches him, lowering him onto the bed. But Hiccup isn't in the mood to sleep.

"So...we're at w-war with the B-Berserkers?" He breathes.

Stoick only nods. "The village is unanimous. They want revenge for what Dagur did to you, as well as for him breaking the peace treaty..."

Hiccup frowns, wanting to argue that war isn't the solution but his throat feels too tight. He literally can't make a sound. Heck, he can hardly force air through its swolleness.

Seeing his distress, Astrid continues by saying, "And besides, even if we didn't want war, Dagur's declared it. We can't stop him now. He'll attack Berk, even if we don't agree to fight him." She watches as he lowers his head in defeat, knowing she's right.

_There's got to be something we can do... _ Only then does Hiccup remember something. Something that sends a chill down his spine. _The Book of Dragons...Dagur must still have it! _

"Hiccup?" Astrid asks, touching his shoulder again, as if afraid he's gone back into shock by the horrified look on his face. "What are you thinking...?"

Hiccup does his best to ignore the pain when he forces out, "Dag-ur ha-s the Bo-ok of Dra-gons!"

Stoick and Astrid exchange shocked looks. "He what?!" Stoick barks.

"How did _he _get the Book of Dragons?!"

Hiccup shakes his head. "Snu-ck into my ro-om while I was go-ne..." He's not sure how this news will go over with his father... Will he be mad?

Stoick's expression is dark at first, his brow furrowed in thought. Suddenly, however, his eyes widen in understanding. "That's why he's waging war with us..."

"What?" Astrid asks. She and Hiccup both flash him confused looks.

"Dagur knows we have dragons. His men are no match for us. The only reason he feels confident enough to take us on is because he has the Book and thinks it will help him win!"

"That makes sense!" Astrid gasps. "He thinks the Book will tell him how to defeat our dragons!"

"He's not wr-wrong..." Hiccup admits, flashing a look at Toothless. He remembers how Dagur took him down so easily, so quietly. No one even _knew_ until Hiccup went outside. "It helped him kn-knock out Tooth-less so he could c-cut his tail and lure is i-into the Forge..."

"We need to get that Book back." Astrid concludes, gaining a nod from Hiccup and Stoick.

"And the so-oner the better. If we g-get it away from him soon enough, maybe he'll b-back down and we won't h-have to fight." Hiccup smiles, pleased to have an option to stop the war before it can even begin.

"Except..." Astrid frowns, suddenly.

"What is it?" Stoick asks her.

"Dagur isn't on Berk anymore, right? Our patrols didn't find him. That means he took the Book of Dragons with him when he left..."

Stoick nods. "I'll have a team go to their island and retrieve it."

Hiccup frowns. More people getting put in danger...this is exactly what he wants to avoid. Scooting to the edge of the bed, he says, "No."

Both Astrid and Stoick look at him, bewildered. "What?"

"You both know as w-well as I do that if you send one of our boats within a hundred y-yards of them, their ship will be sunk b-before it can reach the shores..." He reasons. "Our only ch-chance is to send someone with a dragon...a fast one."

But they aren't fooled. Stoick folds his arms over his chest and glares at his son. "I know where you're going with this." He growls. "And there's no way I'm letting you fly in there, all alone with no backup!"

"But I w-wouldn't be a-alone!" Hiccup points out. "I have Toothless!"

"Hiccup..." Astrid mumbles, noticing the determined glint in his eyes. Already, she knows what he's thinking. If Stoick doesn't approve, he'll go anyway. He's just stubborn like that. He always has been. And the fact that he thinks this is his fault doesn't help...

"No." Apparently, Stoick is just as stubborn as his son. "I won't allow you to risk your life again. Not after what just happened."

"So you'll send someone else in there to be killed?!" Hiccup barks, wincing as his throat seems to scream in protest to his raises voice. "Face it, Dad. T-Toothless and I are the only chance we've got to avoid w-war. Sending anyone else would mean a s-suicide mission."

When Stoick says his next words, he leans in very close to Hiccup. His voice is firm, almost angry. "Then we'll go to war." He says pointedly, as if daring Hiccup to talk back.

And Hiccup doesn't. He knows there's no point in arguing anymore. His father has made up his mind.

But so has he.

Hiccup's eyes narrow, silently challenging his father's decision.

Stoick shakes his head and finally backs off. "Now, I've got to head back to the Great Hall to make plans. Hiccup," He eyes his son, who is now glaring at the floor. "Get some rest. You've been through a lot today."

Hiccup only grunts in response.

Figuring that's good enough, Stoick thumps down the steps. He tugs on his cape and helmet and heads out the door.

Immediately, Hiccup stands up. He doesn't seem to care that Astrid is still in the room and perfectly capable of stopping him from leaving. He simply yanks open a drawer and takes out his vest, shrugging it on.

Astrid watches, feeling conflicted. Should she try to stop him...?

Hiccup doesn't say a word as he leans over and pulls his riding gear out from under his bed.

"Hiccup-" Astrid begins. She's interrupted when he suddenly shoots her a look as if to say 'don't even go there'. She frowns and bites her lip. It's obvious he shouldn't go...but there's something he said before...something that rings sort of true to her.

_"Face it, Dad. T-Toothless and I are the only chance we've got to avoid w-war. Sending anyone else would mean a s-suicide mission." _

And he was right. She can picture it, easily. They send a ship out to sneak onto Berserker land, one of the enemy ships spots them...and suddenly Berk's boat is full of holes, sinking to the bottom of ocean. A handful of men and women trapped on board, or forced to jump into hypothermia-inducing waters, only to be captured by the Berserkers... But with a dragon...it might just work.

"Hiccup." She starts again, a new goal in mind.

He sighs as he stands up but doesn't turn to face her. "Don't try to stop me."

"I wasn't going to." She admits.

He arcs an eyebrow at her. "What?"

"As much as I feel like a total traitor for admitting it, I think you're right. The only chance we have of avoiding a war is to send you and Toothless. You're the fastest and the stealthiest we've got."

He stares at her, waiting for the punch-line.

"But your father is also right." She continues. "You're not in the best condition right now. Plus, _Dagur_ will be there."

Hiccup shudders at the thought of seeing him again... "What are you getting at, Astrid?" He grumbles, watching her suspiciously.

"I'm saying...let me come with you."

He frowns. "The whole reason I'm doing this is to keep the people I care about out of danger. Bringing _you_ with me kind of defeats the purpose."

She shakes her head. "Well it's either bring me...or I confiscate your leg. You can't fly without it." She reminds him, sporting a defiant smirk.

"You wouldn't!" He growls.

"Wouldn't I?" She plants her hands, firmly on her waist. "Besides, I can help you! Stormfly is the fastest after Toothless and we can be a distraction if it becomes necessary. Her spine shot is great for that!"

_She makes a good point... _He admits to himself. _And if something does happen, it would be good to have some backup... _He groans, racking a hand through his messy, sleep-tangled hair. "Fine." He mumbles. "You can come with us."

She visually brightens, relieved that he didn't force her to wrestle him to the ground and take off his prosthetic... "When do we leave?" She asks.

"As soon as possible. Meet me at the beach as soon as you and Stormfly are ready to go." He tells her, earning a tight nod from the girl. Without warning, she reaches out and grabs his shoulders, pulling him in for a warm embrace.

"I almost forgot," She says softly. "I'm glad you're back." With that, she releases him. But not really. One of her hands remains intertwined with his. After a moment of hesitation, she leans in and presses her lips against Hiccup's.

The dizzy boy gets even dizzier under the feeling of her kiss. His cheeks flood with warmth and his heart cranks much faster than before. He's pretty sure if they don't separate soon, he'll pass out again. Luckily for him, Astrid pulls away, smiling bashfully.

"See you later." She says.

He nods, dumbly. "S-see you..."

With that, she turns and rushes outside, enjoying the feeling of the bitter-cold air against her hot cheeks. She's suddenly _really _glad she decided to ask to go with him. She's sure she wouldn't have been able to handle it if he'd left without her...and she didn't have any idea if he was still alive. Plus, this way, they have a better chance of recovering the Book and returning home, safely.

Of course...Stoick will probably kill them both for disobeying his orders and going behind his back... again.


	11. Escape From Berk

_**Chapter Eleven**_

_**A/N: A semi-humorous chapter (although it's anything but light-hearted), including one very stubborn "useless reptile" and his total lack of ability to keep Hiccup from leaving the island... XD But it does serve to further the plot, so just bear with me.**_

* * *

Toothless coos curiously from where he's perched in the rafters of Hiccup's room. The black dragon tilts his head, eyeing Hiccup with bid, emerald eyes. What is his Rider doing...?

Hiccup finishes strapping on his riding gear, fumbling with the sometimes-awkward shoulder guards. He then drags Toothless's saddle out from under the bed and turns to face his dragon. "Come on down, bud." He says, marveling at how his voice doesn't break that time. Although it still hurts quite a bit... At least it's improving.

Toothless coos again but remains out of reach, his tail flicking back and forth as he watches with mild confusion.

Hiccup arcs an eyebrow. "Toothless," He says, exasperated. For some reason, he's feeling increasingly irritable. Maybe it's the fact that they have to sneak out because his father is so short-sighted. Maybe it's because of the obnoxious pounding in his head. Or maybe it's something else entirely. All he knows, is he wants to leave as soon as possible so they can just get the Book and get home before anyone notices they're gone. So why won't Toothless move? "Come on, Toothless!" He groans. "Down!"

The Night Fury only drones and recedes further back out of his friend's reach.

Hiccup sighs. "What's the matter with you?" He demands. "We need to go! Astrid is waiting for us so we can go retrieve the Book of Dragons!"

Clearly, Toothless doesn't care. He lays down, resting his head in his paws before letting out one, long-and oddly annoying-yawn.

"Toothless!" Hiccup hisses, glaring at the dragon. "What's gotten into you?!"

Suddenly, the Night Fury lets out a growl. He drops down to the floor with a thump and snakes over to his Rider. His pupils are mere slits, conveying the irritation the dragon is feeling as well. He growls again as he looms over Hiccup, glaring him down.

"Toothless...?" Hiccup squeaks.

Without warning, the dragon opens his huge jaws to reveal toothless gums. He bites down on Hiccup's riding gear and tugs him, hard. Hiccup stumbles for a few steps and Toothless yanks him again. After one more tug, Hiccup trips over something and falls backwards, landing on his bed.

Only then does Toothless let go and back off, his pupils growing wide with satisfaction. He purrs and lays down again, on the floor this time.

Hiccup is bewildered. What was that all about?! He frowns as suspicion pokes at the corner of his mind. "Oh, don't tell me..." He murmurs. "Not you too, Toothless! Come on, I feel fine! We need to get that Book back!"

Toothless drones and wraps his tail around to cover his face. With his back leg, he shoves Hiccup down onto the bed, telling him-in his own way-to get some rest.

"Come _on_, Toothless! Who's side are you on, here?!"

Toothless doesn't respond.

Hiccup pries himself off the bed and sinks to the floor, kneeling beside his dragon. "Listen," He begins. "I don't think you understand the severity of what will happen if we don't get the Book back from Dagur."

At the sound of his enemy's name, Toothless snarls.

Taken aback, Hiccup recoils for a moment. _He doesn't want me to be near Dagur again...in his own, stubborn way, he's trying to keep me safe..._ "If there's a war, more people will die! It doesn't have to be that way." He continues, regardless. "We could stop it before it begins! All we need to do is-"

Toothless wiggles himself down to the floor and closes his eyes, no longer listening. He cares more about Hiccup than some silly war that they would win anyway! They have dragons, for Thor's sake! Dagur just has human soldiers.

"UGH!" Hiccup jumps to his feet, more than frustrated. "Fine then!" He barks. "You stay here. I don't like the thought of Dagur finding you anyway..." He pauses but shakes his head. "I'll just ride with Astrid on Stormfly." With that, he turns and runs for the door before Toothless can stop him.

Toothless's eyes snap open. He said what-now?

Hiccup is already halfway down the stairs when his dragon grabs him again. Only this time, when Toothless forces him upstairs, he sits down and lowers his head, obediently. No way is Hiccup going _anywhere_ as dangerous as Berserker Island without him... Besides, this way, he might get another chance to _toast _Dagur...

Hiccup stares at him for a moment. "Wait...are you...?"

Toothless growls, angrily and swats his Rider's head with his tail. Yes. He's agreeing to go. Now, could he just hurry up so they can get this over with?!

Hiccup smiles, warmly. "Thanks, bud. I knew I could count on you." With that, leads the dragon downstairs and hops into the saddle. "Let's go. Astrid should be at the beach by now."

Toothless growls a little and smacks Hiccup's cheek with his ear before fanning open his wings and ascending into the sky, rather quickly. Once they've reached the cloud level, he straightens out...but only for a moment. Apparently, if Hiccup is going to be stubborn and masochistic (not to mention suicidal), Toothless is going to make sure he knows just how 'happy' he is to be the one carrying him off to certain death...

Hiccup screams as Toothless suddenly whips around into a nose-dive, barreling straight toward the water. He doesn't slow down until they're inches above its glossy surface. Even then, the icy ocean swallows them for a moment before Toothless jumps back out.

Hiccup shakes his head, freeing his eyes from the water. "Toothless!" He gasps. "What are you _doing_?!"

Toothless growls.

Hiccup stares at him in immense confusion. "Oh, I get it!" He grumbles, crying out in shock as Toothless splashes under the surface again before twirling back into the sky. But the viking only smirks, accepting the challenge. He sits forward in the saddle, white-knuckling his grip. "Fine! Have your little tantrum. Just make sure we get to the beach once you're done."

Toothless drones, a little dragonesque smile curling the corners of his mouth. Tantrum? Thor, is he gonna regret saying that...

* * *

Nearly twenty minutes later, Toothless has just finished another dead-fall straight into the water from the highest peak he could find. That makes a total of...seven times he's done that? Or maybe eight. He's lost count. And at this point, his Rider's exhaustion is nearly tangible. Maybe he's gone a little overboard... After all, Hiccup _did _just wake up from being strangled into unconsciousness... Great. Now he feels guilty...

Deciding to finally give it a rest, Toothless glides up to the beach, as gently as possible. As they approach, he finds Astrid and Stormfly's figures waiting for them, just as Hiccup had said. Astrid sees them and waves.

"Took you long enough!" She shouts as they grow closer. "I was beginning to think you left us...behind..." Her eyes grow wide once they fall on Hiccup. "Hiccup!" She gasps, rushing over him.

Toothless flinches at the panicked sound in her voice. Yeah. Maybe just a little overboard. He obediently lowers his head, allowing her to help Hiccup out of the saddle. And, by the look of him... boy, does he need the help.

"Hiccup," Astrid says as she wraps an arm around his waist and supports most of his weight as he steps off the dragon. "You look terrible! What happened?!"

He sighs, wearily and passes an irritated look at Toothless. "_Someone _decided to 'punish me' for trying to leave Berk..."

Astrid whips around and glares at Toothless. "You did this?!" She barks. "Toothless! I thought, of all people, _you_ would _want _to help him recover! Not make it worse!" She lowers Hiccup's weakened, pale body to the ground so he can catch his breath. "What were you thinking?!"

Toothless flinches, feeling awful for what he did to Hiccup. And here, he thought he was protecting him...

"No." Hiccup says, suddenly. "Don't be mad at him. I get why he did it..."

"Huh?" Astrid eyes him, suspiciously.

"He doesn't want me to find..._him_ again." For some reason, saying Dagur's name always sends chills down his spine and makes it hard to breathe. So now he's avoiding using it... "He was only trying to show me that he was worried..."

"By exhausting you to the point where you can't even stand!? He's got a funny way of showing you he cares..." Astrid grumbles.

Hiccup shakes his head. "I'll be alright." He assures her. "Just no more stunts for a while, please."

Toothless whimpers and crawls over to him, nudging his shoulder, apologetically. Despite what just happened, Hiccup smiles at him. As well as scratches his chin.

"I probably would have done the same thing if it were me..." He confesses. "Toothless and I both have stubbornness issues..."

"I'll say." Astrid agrees under her breath and Stormfly squawks, bobbing her head in a nod. "But I still think you should rest a little after all that. This will be a waste of time if you're too tired."

Hiccup nods in agreeance. "I'll be okay in a few minutes. For now, let's talk strategy." He says, sitting up to attention.

Toothless takes this opportunity to curl up behind him and wrap his tail around his Rider's body, allowing Hiccup to lean against him while they wait.

Astrid scoots over and watches while Hiccup draws out a map of the island in the sand. Apparently, he was there once before. Something about Stoick wanting to visit his friend, Oswald the Agreeable. The plan seems pretty fool-proof. But, for now, all they can do is hope nothing goes wrong...


	12. Casualty of War

_**Chapter Twelve**_

_**A/N: We're about halfway through! I'd just like to thank everyone for all the great reviews, favorites and follows! I really appreciate it and am glad you're enjoying the story! Now, on to chapter 12! A pretty exciting one, if I may say so myself.**_

* * *

Night is quickly closing in. The sky is a dull shade of purple, muffled by storm clouds and a heavy fog. Berserker Island looms below them, looking dangerous and foreboding with all its steep cliffs and sharp mountain peaks. Their docks are crowded with battleships, preparing to head for Berk...

Astrid glances at Hiccup. The two of them, plus their dragons, are hidden within the clouds, allowing the ever-growing darkness to mask their presence. "Are you ready?" She whispers, even thought it's impossible for anyone else to hear her.

"Yeah." Hiccup's expression is intense, his eyes focused and steely as he gazes over his enemy's home. "Remember the plan." He tells her.

She puckers her lips, still not very happy with her position in Hiccup's 'master plan'. "Right, right...shadow you from the sky. Only get involved if completely necessary..."

He smirks at her. "It'll be fine. If all goes according to plan, I'll be in and out in five minutes. No big deal."

She nods, tightly at him. But despite her soldier-like attitude, her eyes are soft when she says, "Just be careful."

"I will." He assures her. Then, with a pat on Toothless's side, he says, "Take me down, bud."

They land in a valley of stones. No grass or trees grow there, just rock and dust and sand... A perfect place for the jet-black Night Fury to hide while he waits for his Rider to return, hopefully carrying the Book of Dragons with him. Hiccup unbuckles himself and slides out of the saddle, offering one last glance to Astrid. He forces a smirk and waves, playing off the nervousness that's toying with his stomach.

She and Stormfly are still hovering in the air when she says, "You have fifteen! If you're not back by then, I'm coming after you!"

"Got it." He answers.

With that, the girl and her dragon vanish back into the clouds. He can't see them but, surely, they can see him just fine.

Toothless coos, sadly at his Rider. He wants to go with him, protect him, but knows his presence would only draw attention. Hiccup smiles at his best friend and scratches the Night Fury's chin, the way he likes.

"I'll be alright, bud." He whispers. "Just stay here. I'll be back."

Toothless coos and nuzzles Hiccup's chest. His very own 'be careful' before the young viking turns away and scrambles over the massive boulder that seperates the valley from the town.

His prosthetic scrapes against the stone, giving him much-needed traction against its steep surface. Hiccup grunts in effort as he finally manages to pull himself to the top of the boulder. Laying on his belly, he scans the village in front of him for any sign of patrols. Seeing nothing so far, he swings his legs around and slides to the ground, landing with a muted thud in the slush that lays on the other side.

_So far, so good... _He sprints to the piece of cover: another, smaller boulder. Staying low, he peeks around the corner. He bites back a gasp as a bright, golden light suddenly appears at the center of the town. Upon closer inspection, he sees that it's a guard holding a lantern. _Well at least they'll be easy to spot... _He comments, dryly.

A moment later, the patrol disappears again. Hiccup doesn't waste any time. He sprints into the town, diving behind an animal barn beside someone's house. Inside, he can hear the snorts and grunts of pigs as they slosh around in their muck.

From there, he crawls to the other end of the barn, peering out into a narrow, back alley behind a row of houses. Icicles dangle on the lips of the roofs, dripping water and making deep puddles of mud. Hiccup will have to avoid those, unless he feels like making a whole lot of unnecessary noise... Carefully, he steps out into the alley, silently hating the fact that he'd be trapped if a guard came from either side. He would have nowhere to run. Swallowing back his fear, he quietly jogs through the alley, avoiding the puddles so he doesn't make too much sound. But despite his effort, his clunky boot and metal leg still succeed at making him quite a noisy presence.

_Almost there... _His eyes fall on the familiar house, set right up ahead. When he was here with his father a few years ago, that is where Dagur and his father lived... Hiccup can only hope Dagur hasn't moved since then.

The house's lights are off. Dagur must be at the docks with his troops, preparing for the war. But, of course, if Hiccup has anything to do with it, that war will never occur. He sets his jaw, determined to make sure no one he cares about gets hurt. Even if that means putting himself in danger...again.

Hiccup pokes his head around the corner, making sure there are no patrols outside Dagur's house. The streets are empty. Eerily so... He frowns. Where is everyone? With narrowed eyes, he thinks, _Something's not right here..._

But before he can further contemplate the creepy silence of Berserker Island, another patrol rounds the corner. He steps into the center of town, glances back and forth a couple of times and then vanishes down the same alley he came from.

Hiccup shakes his head, furiously. _No time to get distracted. Gotta get that Book! _With that, he slinks around the corner. Standing in the center of the town serves to make him quite nervous. He feels exposed, defenseless. He wastes no time in jogging up the stairs that lead to Dagur's front door and pressing his ear to the wooden surface. Inside, he hears nothing. He reaches down and grabs the doorknob, twisting it until the door creaks open.

* * *

Astrid sighs for the hundredth time since Hiccup left. She drums her fingers, anxiously over Stormfly's saddle. Why did she ever agree to such a dumb plan?! Why didn't she press her opinion harder?! She could be there with him right now, making sure he's safe, watching his back. But no. She'd allowed him to convince her his plan was perfect. That he was simply trying to keep everyone safe by going alone. She was stupid! She should have gone with him! With an irritated groan, she shuts her eyes. _Too late to fix it now... _She remembers. _Hiccup should already be there by now...maybe even on his way back. _

Suddenly, Stormfly lets out a series of chirps. She tilts her head to the right, then the left, perking her little ears as if listening to something far away.

"What's the matter, girl?" Astrid asks, her heart kicking into over-drive at the nervous way her dragon is acting. "What do you hear?"

* * *

The door makes a horrible creak as it swings shut. And yet, Hiccup sighs in relief. He made it. _Now all I have to do is find the Book...hopefully, Dagur doesn't have it on him. _With that resolve in mind, he gazes around the front room. There's not much in here, other than a small fireplace and a couple of rickety chairs. Evidently, Dagur doesn't spend much time at home. Of course, that only serves to increase Hiccup's fear that he might be keeping the Book of Dragons elsewhere. _I have to try. _He tells himself. _You never know. It might be here... _

He takes a few steps inside, squinting through the darkness. _I really shouldn't turn on a light...but it's so dark in here. I'll never find anything like this. _Biting his lip, he shakes his head. _No. No lights. I'll just have to look really carefully._

Hiccup walks across the room, already positive the Book isn't in that room. He can plainly see the empty tables and dusty shelves. No books there... The next room is a small sitting room. There are a few tables in there...no books though.

_"You have fifteen minutes! After that, I'm coming after you!"_

_ I need to hurry. I already spent fives minutes just getting here...and this house is pretty big. _He picks up his pace as he heads for the stairs. _Dagur's bedroom is up here if I remember right...he must be keeping the Book in his room._ He quickly climbs up, fleetingly scanning the dark bedroom before running inside. It's actually a pretty cluttered room...this might take a while.

As Hiccup kneels down to look under the bed, he misses the slight movement in the shadows behind him, doesn't hear the pair of boots that silently cross the wooden floors, stopping right behind him.

"Come on...where are you...?" Hiccup hisses, under his breath as he goes to stand up.

The figure's hand reaches out. Something held in its fist. "Well, well, well..."

Hiccup's body freezes as something touches his back.

"And here I took you for a coward, Hiccup..." Dagur pauses, eyeing the knife that's just brushing Hiccup's spine. "A _dead_ coward." He moves a little closer to the paralyzed boy. For once, he's not wearing that sadistic smile of his. No. His face is smooth, unreadable. And for some reason, that's more frightening than his smile.

Hiccup's heart thunders, loudly in his ears. This is it... Dagur is going to kill him. He's sure of it.

"You know, it's almost too bad." Dagur sighs, dramatically. "I never thought the day would come when _you _would actually grow a backbone. Enough of one to sneak into my house, to boot!" He clicks his tongue as if disappointed. "But it seems this day came a little late. We're at war, Hiccup." He reminds him in a cold, clipped voice. "And you're about to become the first casualty."

* * *

_**A/N: Ooooh! The cliffhangers! XD**_


	13. The Darkness

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

_**A/N: Violent, dark chapter! My favorite kind... XD Maybe I'm the deranged one...?**_

_**It might also be a tiny bit confusing...if you have any questions, message me and I'll do my best to answer them for you. (Then again, every time I think a chapter is confusing, you guys seem to not think so...I dunno. Whatever. XD)**_

_**And WOW you guys have been AWESOME! Seriously! I don't think I've ever had this many reviews in such a short time! Thank you! You are amazing! (reminded myself of Hiccup just then...in Gift of the Night Fury) LOL.**_

* * *

"We're at war, Hiccup." Dagur hisses, close to the boy's ear. "And you're about to become the first casualty."

Hiccup whimpers, despite himself. But he's unable to move. His breath is suddenly very short and labored. All the memories of that night in the Forge come rushing back to him, threatening to topple him from the inside out. He can't move. He can't breathe. And Dagur is right behind him, holding a knife. Stars flash in his vision. He's going to pass out, he realizes. And, somehow, that's almost a relief. Maybe he'll faint before Dagur stabs him. Maybe he won't feel it... Maybe-

Dagur grabs his shoulder and spins in him around. The knife he's holding is a lot bigger than Hiccup had imagined. It's actually more like a machete... The Berserker's chief notices the look of absolute terror on Hiccup's face and laughs. He _laughs_. As if this is some kind of joke. He pushes Hiccup against the wall, holding him there with one hand. The other one brings his knife dangerously close to Hiccup's midsection. The very tip of its razor-sharp blade whispers over Hiccup's stomach, threatening him.

_ And..._the stars are back... Hiccup silently urges them to take over. He doesn't want to be here when Dagur is done playing his games. When he decides to just end it and sink the knife into his gut. He wants to be far away, hidden deep within his mind's darkness when it happens.

Unfortunately, he isn't so lucky.

* * *

"Stormfly, Toothless, stay here." Astrid whispers as she backs away from them. "Hiccup's had his fifteen minutes and he isn't back yet. I'm going to find him." She can't help but notice the distressed look on Toothless's face, as well the uneasy chirps that Stormfly is still making. "I'll be back." She assures them. "Be ready to take off when I do."

She spins around and jumps, grabbing a hand-hold in the boulder's porous side. Then, heaving herself on top, she wastes no time in sliding down the other side and running straight into town, setting her sights on the spot where Hiccup described Dagur's house to be.

Only once does she see a patrol. He is at the other end of an alleyway that passes by. Luckily, he doesn't notice her. So she doesn't stop. Instead, she continues sprinting right up through the center of town, toward the large house at the end of the street. Hiccup is in there somewhere. And, by the eerie silence of the town, she can definitely feel it. The intensity buzzes across her skin, making it crawl. Something is wrong.

_Hiccup is in danger. I need to find him...! _Somehow, she just knows.

Astrid reaches Dagur's front door in a matter of seconds. Throwing it open, she takes a confident step inside, expecting there to be something happening on the other side. Some kind of fight, maybe. Or Hiccup being held hostage... But there's nothing. This is the right house, right? She glances around, her eyes growing wide.

There's something laying on the ground. A satchel? She leans down and flips it open, gasping at what falls open when she does. _The Book of Dragons! _She smiles, excitedly. _It really is here! _Only then does she begin to wonder. _Why wouldn't Hiccup have checked that...? Did he not see it...or maybe... _"Oh no..." She breathes.

Or maybe it was just put here. Dagur just got home.

* * *

The pain is excruciating. Blinding. The feeling of a knife cutting through your skin, spilling your blood... It's unimaginable. Hiccup screams in agony as the blade cuts into him. Instantly, his knees give out and falls to the ground.

Dagur stands above him, grinning. "You should have stayed dead the first time around...maybe then this wouldn't have happened to you." He regards the bleeding boy with a twisted smirk and shakes his head. "Maybe I'll take your body back to Berk...leave it on your dear old father's doorstep..." He lifts his foot, prepared to kick Hiccup while he's down...literally. "I wonder how your 'Dragon Riders' would react to seeing their beloved leader cold and lifeless...or your little girlfriend?" He snickers. But before he can bring down his foot-

_CRACK!_

Dagur's eyes roll back in his head and he sinks to the ground, collapsing only a few inches away from Hiccup. Said viking lifts his blurring eyes to see what happened.

Astrid is standing where Dagur used to be. She drops the object she used to hit Dagur over the head. Her face is ghostly white, her eyes wide with horror. "Oh gods..." She breathes, staring at Hiccup and, more specifically, the blood that's pooling around him. "Hiccup..." She squeaks, dropping to her knees in front of him. "What happened...?"

He opens his mouth to speak but he gets distracted by a strange taste filling his mouth. It's metallic, like copper. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knows it's blood... But the forefront of his mind is still occupied with trying to comprehend the fact that he was just stabbed.

"Hiccup...?" Astrid asks again. Her hands are shaking. She looks scared.

Another part of his ever-blurring mind wants to comfort her. He wants to tell her he's okay...but, once again, his body simply won't do what he tells it to. Instead, he just continues to lay there on his side, watching as more crimson gushes from his wound, soaking his tunic and spilling onto the floor.

"Hiccup!" Astrid cries out, desperately. "Please answer me!"

But he simply can't. He wishes he could...but he can't. At this point, the darkness he'd been wishing for slowly begins to swallow him. But this time, it's different. A more complete darkness, silent... It nudges the corner of his vision, trying to push its way through and blind him to his pain.

"J-just hang on, Hiccup!" Astrid pleads. She moves closer, her eyes frantically searching for something, anything to stop the bleeding that's slowly draining away the color in his face. "Don't give up!" She shouts, not caring if anyone hears. "I'm gonna help you! Don't you dare give up!"

Somehow, he finds the strength to nod. At least...it feels like he nodded. Astrid doesn't seem to have noticed it so...maybe he only imagined it. Great. Now he's bleeding out _and_ going crazy! Just great...

After a few more seconds, the blackness finally manages to worm its way in. Hiccup tiredly pushes against it, not wanting to give up and get in trouble with Astrid. But there's only so much strength he can muster right now. And, eventually, his vision fades. Fallowed by his hearing. And then the pain goes too. Just like when Dagur strangled him. And, also the same as last time, he can't stop his thoughts from going to Toothless...and his dad...and Astrid.

_I promised Toothless I'd be back... _He remembers. _Dad doesn't even know I'm gone...he thinks I'm safely in my bedroom..._ A little bit of the darkness fades, suddenly. As if being cut by a light. Why does he feel so cold all of a sudden? _And Astrid...oh man...she's gonna be so mad if I die... _He feels like there's a wind on his face. The pain in his stomach is just an echo of what it was before...but he can feel it again. He feels something else too. Like he's being...dragged or carried...or maybe both?

"Hiccup..." Astrid's voice is so distant, like she's at the other end of a long tunnel. "Stay with me...you're gonna be fine...just please don't die..."

Suddenly, the world shakes. The wind whips his face and he gets the feeling he's flying. Maybe he is...? No. How would he have gotten to a dragon? He can't even walk, for Thor's sake! The last thing he hears before the darkness returns, is Astrid's gentle voice in his ear.

"It's going to be okay...just don't give up."


	14. Don't Give Up!

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

_**A/N: *Sigh* I worked very hard today to get you this chapter. I felt bad for leaving you hanging with such a nasty cliffhanger. XD AND THIS WHY YOU LOVE ME! LOL! The beginning of this chapter is the end of chapter 13, only from Astrid's POV. The rest is plot. Enjoy!**_

* * *

As soon as Astrid reaches the top of the stairs, she sees them. And fury begins to boil in her gut. Dagur is there, as she'd suspected. He's pinning Hiccup to the wall. At first, she thinks he might be choking him again...but she can't be sure since she doesn't have a clear line of sight to her friend. And so she does what any sane person would do under the circumstances: grabs a half-full bottle of wine from the table and walks up behind the murderous psychopath, whacking him across the head with it. She smirks when Dagur crumples to the floor under the weight of her attack. Serves him right. She hopes he gets one heck of a concussion.

But then she sees that Hiccup is no longer standing either. Confused and worried, she takes a step closer. Her boot nearly slips in something. Looking down, she gets the sudden urge to throw up. So much blood... She feels herself going pale when she figures out where it's coming from...

"Oh gods..." She gasps, horror building in her chest. "Hiccup..." She drops to her knees, reaching out with a shaking hand. She touches his shoulder, shaking him slightly.

His eyes are open. But he's just...staring. Off into the distance as if she isn't even there. It reminds her of when he was in shock, not more than six hours ago... And now...he's so pale. So cold.

"What happened...?" She asks him, still hoping he'll answer her. And, for a moment, she thinks he will. His lips part, as if to speak. But then, his brow furrows, ever so slightly and he gives a little cough. She recoils in horror as a bit of blood trickles from his lips. "Hiccup...?" She asks, desperate now. Her hands are shaking with fear that he might actually...die. Tears sting her eyes as she tries again. "Hiccup!" She shouts. "Please answer me!"

His eyes flutter shut for a few seconds. It's obvious he's struggling to stay awake. He's fighting for his life...and all she's doing is sitting there. Again. She bites her lip. No. She isn't going to just sit there anymore. She scoots closer to him, scanning the dark room for something to bind his wound. First and foremost, they need to stop the bleeding.

"J-just hang in there, Hiccup." She pleads. Her eyes catch sight of a trunk laying at the foot Dagur's bed. Maybe something in there can help... "Don't give up!" She shouts from the other end of the room, hoping the presence of her voice will keep him tethered there for a little longer. "I'm gonna help you! Just don't you dare give up!"

She throws open the lid to the trunk, her heart leaping into her throat. She can't believe it. She can't believe it! Dagur must get hurt _a lot_...because that is a _ton_ of medical supplies! She smiles in relief. For once, something works out in their favor. Scooping as many rolls of bandages and packets of herbs into her arms as she can, she moves back over to Hiccup.

Her breath catches when she realizes his eyes are closed now. He must have passed out... Kneeling beside him again, she gently moves his vest to the side and grimaces at the wet, sticky texture of the fur. It must be soaked through with his blood... Then, she moves onto the tunic. It too is saturated. She lifts it up until she finds the spot that is still gushing blood onto the floor. Hiccup tenses a little under her but doesn't seem to wake up.

Grimacing, she begins wrapping the wound. Every time Hiccup is moved, his face gets a little tenser, a little more pained. Soon, it's all Astrid can do not to stop trying to patch him up. Just so he won't look so tortured anymore... But she doesn't. Instead, she focuses on what he'd said to her back on Berk, and in the stone valley.

_"I'm doing this to keep the people I care about safe..."_

She closes her eyes, taking even breaths to keep herself from crying. Vikings don't cry. Vikings _don't _cry. Even so, her eyes mist over a bit and burn from the tears. "Just hang in there, Hiccup..." She whispers as she ties the last knot on the bandage. "You're going to be okay...you're going to be okay..." She isn't sure if he can even hear her. Saying that makes her feel better, though.

She's finally done. Lowering his tunic again, she steps back. What now? She can't carry him the whole way, can she...? And he certainly can't walk-

"Dagur!" The man's booming voice echos through the house. "Sir! Are you in there?"

Astrid freezes. Time to go. NOW!

She rushes to the window and throws it open, letting loose a loud Nadderhead call. Stormfly should be here any second now. Hopefully, Toothless follows her. She can hear more voices at Dagur's front door.

"Dagur, sir?"

"Are you in there?"

"Come on, Stormfly..." She quietly urges, holding Hiccup's cold body against hers. "Hurry up...!"

As if on que, the Nadderhead appears at the window. Somehow, the guards at the front door don't see her. Astrid also hears the small cooing of a nervous Night Fury. Surely, Toothless can smell Hiccup's blood. Heck, _Astrid_ can smell all this blood. He must be scared out of his wits. Then again, so is she.

"Stormfly, hover." She calls down, quietly. The dragon obeys, positioning herself to that the saddle is right outside the window. Astrid heaves Hiccup to a limp standing position and literally shoves him out the window. He flops into the saddle and Astrid jumps in behind him. "Take us to the stone valley, girl!" Astrid orders. "Toothless," She says, turning to the other dragon. "Follow."

* * *

After reaching a safe distance from the town, Astrid switches into Toothless's saddle. She straps Hiccup in right in front of her and holds on tight. "Toothless, take us home. And fast."

The Night Fury growls, determination set in his eyes. He wiggles a little, preparing to take off as fast as his massive wings will carry him.

"Stay close, Stormfly!" She says, patting the Nadderhead's side. "Now let's go!" As Toothless rockets into the air, Stormfly right behind them, Astrid reaches back and pats the satchel that she just barely remembered to grab on her way out. The Book of Dragons is still inside...

"It'll be okay, Hiccup...just don't give up."

* * *

Astrid sighs in relief as Berk's shore comes into view. Their home has never looked quite so appealing. For the millionth time, she readjusts Hiccup in his seat and folds her arms around him so he won't fall.

Toothless roars as they approach the island. He beats his wings even faster, eager to get help for Hiccup.

Astrid closes her eyes. Hiccup is going to be fine. He's going to be fine. He's going to be-

"Ughhh..."

She gasps at the sound of his groan. At first, she's worried he might be in pain. Which he probably is. But then, as she leans around, she notices his eyes fluttering open. Oh gods...he's... "Hiccup?!"

"Ast-rid...?" He mumbles, confusion plain on his face. "What's...going on-AH!" He doubles over, grasping his stomach as pain stabs through it. Oh...oh man...what _happened_?! Even as he asks himself this question, he already knows. This time, his memory hasn't failed him. Dagur. Dagur happened.

"I know it hurts, Hiccup." Astrid says in a soothing voice. "But just hang in there a little while longer. We're almost home."

"D-did you find the Book?" He asks, breathlessly.

"Yes."

He physically relaxes, hearing that. At least one thing went right. At least this wasn't all for nothing. Astrid came through for him in the end, as usual. "Good..." He whispers, tiredly. He doesn't really want to sleep anymore. But his eyelids have other ideas. He feels her grip on him tighten, her body press against his in a protective manner as they swoop down for a landing. Wait a sec... Landing? Cracking open an eye, he gasps. He hadn't been imagining it, after all! "Toothless!"

The Night Fury doesn't respond. He's too focused on landing as close to their house as physically possible. That way, his injured Rider won't have to walk as far. Honestly, he has half a mind to land on the windowsill...but Hiccup might fall if he does that. So he contents himself with landing right outside the front door.

Astrid slides off first, acting as a crutch for Hiccup as he goes to get down as well. Pain is etched across his face but he doesn't make a sound. He stumbles down and allows Astrid to carry most of his weight as they limp to the house.

"Stay with me..." She mutters, seeing the way his head is drooping. "We're so close. Just stay with me."

"Gotcha..." He murmurs, but even as he says this, that solid darkness returns. It swallows his mind in one, fell swoop before he even gets the chance to struggle against it.

Astrid catches him as he crumples, not allowing him to fall. She kicks open the door and drags him inside. "STOICK!" She shouts at the top of her lungs. "STOICK, ARE YOU HERE?!"


	15. Return to Berk

_**Chapter Fifteen**_

_**A/N: Yeah, I'm fully aware that Stoick is being slightly OOC in this chapter and more than a little unfair toward Astrid. But then again, he almost lost his son...again. A bit of pointless anger is to be expected...**_

* * *

Grey light filters through the shutters over Hiccup's window. The young viking is laying in his bed, once more oblivious to the world. This time, however, his unconsciousness is intentional. Gothi gave him some kind of medicine to kill his pain and knock him out so he can rest while he heals. But while Hiccup sleeps, his home is anything but peaceful.

"Such blatant disobedience!" Stoick barks. "I thought I could trust you to watch over him, Astrid! I thought you had better judgement than that!"

"He wasn't going to back down!" She retorts. "Either I went with him, or he went alone! And we both know how _that_ would have turned out! Besides," She jabs a finger to the staircase, indicating her friend. "He was right! We got the Book of Dragons back! Now Dagur will back down and there will be no war!"

"And at what cost?!" Stoick hisses. "Hiccup, your _friend_ and my _son,_ nearly died! He still could if that wound gets infected!"

"He only did it to protect his people!"

"And what will his people do if they lose him?!" Stoick shouts, furiously. "What will _you_ do, Astrid?!"

But Astrid doesn't answer that. How _dare_ he even ask her such a question! It's not her fault that Hiccup was nearly killed! All she did was back him up and keep him safe! She saved his life! And this is how Stoick repays her?! What would she do if Hiccup dies?! He's _got _to be joking!

Obviously, Stoick sees the unbridled fury in her eyes because he suddenly goes quiet as well. Casting a look at the staircase, he sighs. "I have to conference with the others...Dagur isn't one back down easily. Especially if he's holding a grudge..."

"I guess smacking him over the head and possibly giving him a concussion didn't exactly help to soothe his anger..." She mutters, sarcastically, remembering the satisfying sound it had made when it broke over his big, thick skull. If she could go back in time, she would have hit him even harder...

Stoick nods, a shadow of dark humor crossing his face. "I would have done the same thing..." He tells her. "Except maybe with something slightly...sharper."

Astrid smirks, despite herself. She's still mad at Stoick for being so unfair...but at least they share the same mutual hatred for Dagur. Somehow, their violent wishes for him has served to lighten the black mood of the room, just a tad.

"Can I count of you to watch over him while I'm gone?" Stoick asks her, folding his arms. "_Without _going on another suicide mission?"

She steals a look at the stairs, her mood deflating again. "Yes sir."

"Good." Stoick tugs on his cape and heads for the door. "I won't be gone long." He assures her. "If something happens, Gobber should be in the Forge for a while." The door slams shut behind him as he heads for the Great Hall.

Astrid remains there in the front room for a moment. This is one of those rare moments when the Hofferson girl feels less than confident in herself. She shifts her weight, uneasily before looking back at the steps again. It's not that she doesn't _want _to see Hiccup... It's just that she's afraid of what she'll see...

Since arriving back on Berk, she's been separated from him while Gothi worked on him. She has no idea what condition he's in.

She can't help but remember those long days after Hiccup's battle with the Red Death...how she craved to know if he was alright, if he was in pain... She would have done _anything _to see him. Hiccup. The boy who took her flying for the first time, who showed her it's okay to be weak sometimes, that physical strength isn't always the most important kind of strength... She missed him. And when she walked outside that day...saw all those people by his house...she _knew. _He was awake. She ran all the way there...only to stop when she saw his leg. Oh gods...he'd lost his leg. But...he hadn't seemed too upset about it. In fact, he looked almost...happy. All those people-people who had never even offered him a passing glance before all of this-were cheering for him. Happy for him. She was happy for him. He was a hero. The Dragon Conqueror!

But today doesn't feel like that day. There's no anticipation thrumming in her chest, no butterflies in her stomach at the thought of seeing him. Just dread. And fear. This isn't over. Not by a long shot. What if Stoick was right? What if Hiccup really _does _die? What if Dagur returns and finishes the job? What if she's not able to stop him?

Suddenly, Astrid feels sick. All this stress is starting to get to her. And the thought of Hiccup...dead? It's too much. Way too much. _Besides, it'll probably never happen! _She finds herself rationalizing. _Everything is going to be fine. We're home now. Hiccup is going to be fine! _She takes a breath and starts for Hiccup's bedroom. _I promised him he'd be fine. I'll keep him safe. No matter what. _With that resolve in mind, she climbs upstairs.

As soon as Astrid steps into Hiccup's room, she remembers one more thing that will ensure Hiccup's safety. And that thing is the five hundred pound, fire-breathing lizard that is currently crouched in the rafters, stalking her from the highest point in the house. She smirks.

"Morning, Toothless."

The Night Fury grumbles and wiggles his butt a little, his tail sweeping the floor as it twitches back and forth. His pupils are narrow as he watches her.

_Just like an overgrown cat. _She remarks with a roll of her eyes. "Relax. Hiccup's not going anywhere this time. I'm just here to watch over him while Stoick is away."

Toothless's ears twitch and his pupils widen a little. He jumps down from the rafters, landing with a thump. Slinking over to Astrid, he sniffs her and coos.

She pats his head and he nuzzles her hand. "I'm sorry, Toothless. I know you must be worried about him. I am too."

He purrs and stands up again, looking at Hiccup with big, green eyes. The dragon moves a little closer to the boy, sniffing his cheek. He exhales, the breath that blows across Hiccup's face tussles his hair. Toothless nudges his shoulder, jolting his entire body.

"No, Toothless!" Astrid protests, ushering him away from Hiccup. "He's asleep for a reason. If we wake him up, he'll be in a lot of pain."

Toothless's eyes go wide in understanding and he whimpers, lowering his head and backing away from the sleeping teen.

She smiles, apologetically. "Don't worry, Toothless." She says in the most comforting voice she can manage. "Hiccup is going to be okay. You'll see."

* * *

Stoick returns home about an hour later. He calls for Astrid and she immediately rushes down to meet him, eager to hear what the village has decided to do. However, as much as she wants to believe the war has been called off, she is sadly disappointed when she hears what has just happened...

"Berserker ships have been seen in our waters." He reports, grimly. "Dagur has refused to back down. We're still at war."

"No..." She breathes, horrified. _All of this...everthing we've done...Hiccup's injuries..they were all for nothing...! _She shakes her head. "M-maybe they're not going to-"

"Astrid." He interrupts her. "We both know why they're here."

She closes her eyes, trying to shut out the panic she's feeling. "Well...what're we going to do? Should we ready the dragons?"

"No."

She opens her eyes again, eyeing him strangely. "But Sir...dragons are our best chance against-"

"I know that, Astrid." He assures her. "And if comes down to it, we'll use them. But for now, we're taking ships out to meet them halfway. I want to talk with Dagur and his men, assure them they won't win. Especially now that they don't have the Book. A war with us would mean senseless slaughter on their part. I don't want to have to kill them just because Dagur is a proud fool!"

Astrid stares at him for a moment, silently shocked at what he said. After a moment, she bows her head. And smirks. "Now I see where Hiccup gets it." She chuckles. "When are you leaving?" She asks.

"As soon as possible." He says, still trying to figure out what she'd meant by 'that's where Hiccup gets it'. "I just came to ask if you'd stay with until Gobber gets here."

"Of course, Sir." She says, nodding.

"Thank you." He says as he turns away. But before he reaches the door, he pauses. "Astrid."

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry." He mumbles. "It wasn't your fault...I was just angry."

She smiles. "I know. And it's okay. I totally understand..."

"You're a good girl, Astrid. I can't thank you enough for saving him." With that, he disappears once again, quietly closing the door behind him and leaving Astrid alone.

_Hiccup won't be very happy to hear that he got stabbed for nothing...but who knows. Maybe Stoick will be able to talk the Berserkers out of fighting Dagur's pointless war. He might still come through for us in the end..._


	16. Loose Ends

_**Chapter Sixteen**_

_**A/N: So I was watching some re-runs of Defenders of Berk...saw Dagur in one of them...then got irrationally mad at him because of this fanfic! XD Then again, I'm pretty bad at mixing up canon with fanfics...I don't know why. LOL!**_

_**Also, we're nearing the climax! So buckle yourselves in and hold on tight! (While keeping all hands and feet inside the car at all times, thank you.) XD**_

* * *

A cold ocean mist hisses across the desk of Stoick's ship. It's already early morning but the sky is still nearly pitch black from the storm clouds that are still brewing overhead. Thunder rumbles in the distance. A fitting backdrop, Stoick muses as they grow closer to the Berserker ships. There are three of them in total. Not exactly an armed fleet... Stoick wonders what Dagur is up to this time, approaching him with so few men.

As if to answer his silent question, Dagur himself strolls to the bow of the ship. He has a blood stained bandage around his head, as well as a few scratches on his face from where he fell after Astrid hit him. He offers Stoick a polite smile.

But, obviously, Stoick is _not_ in the mood for pleasantries. "Dagur!" He barks. "I oughta' cut you down right here and now for hurting my son!"

"Oh man!" The Berserker's chief lets out a childish groan and plants his hands on his hips. "Hiccup's _still alive_?! Gods! Doesn't that brat ever die?!" He shakes his head and turns to his men, saying something in a quiet voice. One that Stoick can't hear. Immediately, the other Berserkers disappear below deck. Only then does Dagur turn back to Stoick. "And here I thought you'd come here to avenge his death."

"He's tougher than he looks." Stoick assures him.

"That's not saying a lot." Dagur retorts, smirking.

Berk's leader shakes his head at the other man's humorous attitude. As if this all just a joke. A game. "What are you after, Dagur?" He demands. "You can't win! Not after we retrieved the Book of Dragons!"

"Hmph." Dagur rolls his eyes. "I came here to tell you that I change my mind."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't want to fight you, Stoick. You're absolutely right. I know we're no match for your dragons." Dagur is still grinning though, a knowing twinkle in his malachite-colored eyes. "There's only one thing I still want from Berk."

"And that is...?" Stoick asks, suspiciously.

"Oh, don't worry." Dagur snickers as he folds his arms behind himself. "My men are already on their way to retrieve it..."

_What...? _Then it hits him. All the color drains from Stoick's face when he realizes what he means by that. His men are already heading to Berk...and he's all the way out here, miles into the ocean. The island is more or less defenseless, save the twenty or so men he left behind. _No...this was all a trap... _Stoick whips around, jabbing a hurried finger to the captain. "Turn around! We need to get home! NOW!"

"Uh, yes Sir!"

When Stoick turns back to Dagur, the Berserker's chief is smiling at him. As if he's a helpless fly caught in a spider's web. "I'll kill you yet, Dagur...!" Stoick growls as they pull away. _But first I have to go save my son!_

* * *

_CRASH!_

"Huh, wha...?!" Astrid sputters as she snaps awake. She hadn't even realized she was so tired until she dozed off. Apparently, watching your best friend almost die is pretty taxing stuff... Go figure. But, in all seriousness, what was that sound...? She sits up and turns around, gazing sleepily around the room.

Toothless is awake now, too. He had fallen asleep long before her and is now staring down the steps, a dangerous look on his face. He doesn't growl just yet...but he looks suspicious, nonetheless.

Seeing his uneasiness, Astrid stands up. "What the matter, boy?" She asks him. "Is someone here?" Her first thought is that Gobber has come over to check on Hiccup...but Toothless knows Gobber's scent. He wouldn't be so worked up if it were just the friendly blacksmith.

The Night Fury lowers into a threatening stance and snarls, quietly. But instead of going toward the door, he backs up. Fanning open his wings, he spreads them over Hiccup's body, creating a living shield of sorts.

Astrid can hear the high-pitched humming in the dragon's throat as he prepares his plasma blast, coupled with the neon purple glow that shines from his mouth. This time, Toothless isn't messing around. If someone comes through that door, he's going to shoot them.

"Toothless, relax." She tells him, even though she's also feeling on edge. "It's probably nothing." With a quick motion of her hand, she tells him to stay with Hiccup while she goes and checks it out... Keeping her footsteps quiet, she sneaks down the stairs and to the front door. She hears nothing when she presses her ear to the door.

Astrid glances around the room for a weapon to take with her. Then she remembers who's house she's in. Stoick is pretty good at keeping axes and swords of every possible shape and size practically mounted on the wall. She grabs the first one she sees and goes back to the door, quietly easing it open.

She takes a step outside and-

_CRASH!_

Astrid nearly screams as the Gronckle buzzes by, clumsily slamming into a tree a few feet from the Haddock house. She drops her tense shoulders and stares at, bewildered and also feeling a little silly. It was just a Gronckle... She groans and shakes her head. _I should have known..._

Spinning around, she laughs at herself before reaching out to open the door.

Wait...

Open it? Her hand freezes as a chill rolls up her spine. Wait just a second... She is _sure _she left it open... How did it close? As her heart begins to thrum a little faster, she grabs the handle and pulls. The sick feeling from before returns when the door only jolts a little in its spot. It doesn't open...

Jerking at it again, it still doesn't open. The door is locked...

"Oh gods..." Astrid lifts her foot, kicking it as hard as she can. It barely budges. "HICCUP!" She screams. "HICCUP, WAKE UP!"

* * *

As soon as Toothless hears Astrid go outside, he gets a very bad feeling. That ominous chill in the air only grows once he hears the crash again and then the door closes. He hears the lock clicking into place...and then footsteps. Two pairs of them. He tenses as the footsteps grow closer, reaching the bottom of the staircase.

"Toothless...?" An unfamiliar voice asks. "Are you here, buddy?"

He growls in response, slightly disturbed hearing the unknown intruder using his name, as well as his nickname.

"Don't worry." He continues. "We're not gonna hurt you..."

But, obviously, Toothless isn't buying it. His protective instincts kick into over drive and he backs up, closer to Hiccup. He hisses, furiously. Warning them not to come any closer. Vaguely, he wonders where Astrid went and why she isn't here, helping him to keep Hiccup safe. But, instantly, his thoughts are tugged back into focus when something suddenly flies up the staircase.

Toothless roars at the unknown objects and immediately lets loose a plasma blast. The tiny packet lands, harmlessly to the floor. Its charred remains smoldering and smoking a little.

He hesitates. What was that?

"HICCUP!" Astrid screams from outside. "HICCUP WAKE UP!"

It's while Toothless is distracted by his friend's desperate cries, that the smoke from the packet hits him. He sniffs, sensing the familiar odor. Huh, funny...it smells just like. His eyes grow wide for a moment. Dragon nip...? Toothless's mind clouds over as he sinks to the floor. So much dragon nip...it actually makes him feel weak and dizzy, as if he's been drugged. Which, in a way, with his super-sensative nose, he has been. Stars flash in his vision as the world goes dark...


	17. Struggling

_**Chapter Seventeen**_

_**A/N: Alright! These next few chapters are considered the 'climax'! So prepare yourselves! Here we goooo~**_

* * *

_"HICCUP!"_

_ Huh...? _Hiccup squeezes his eyes shut, lulling his head to the side as he struggles to regain consciousness. He feels heavy and tired, as if he hasn't slept in days, even though he just woke up. There's a dull pain in his stomach whenever he moves.

_"HICCUP, WAKE UP!"_

_ Astrid...? _Forcing his eyes open, he gazes around the room. His vision is blurry and unfocused, making the room look too fuzzy. The sight of it gives him a headache. On the floor beside him, Toothless is asleep. There are two figures standing in the staircase, looking at him. He squints, trying to see who they are...

"Don't worry, Hiccup..." One of them says, a hint of laughter in his voice. "We're here to help..." They come a little closer. The other one takes something from their waistband and turns it over in their hands. It looks like... He squints again, trying to figure out what it is. A knife...?

"Just relax...this will only hurt for a second..."

The Berserker lifts up his knife above his head, directing it at the groggy boy's chest. A cruel smile slips over his face and casts a humorous look to his companion. As if this is fun, or some kind of game. The other one folds his arms and grins, as well. In a second, this will all be over. Berk's hero will die and Dagur will reward them with all the money and land they would ever want...

As Hiccup's vision finally slides into focus, he realizes he doesn't know who these guys are... Why are they dressed so strangely? Like they're soldiers or something... And...wait a second...what the-

_SMASH!_

Both men freeze and whip around, shocked looks on their faces. "What was that?!" One of them hisses. "Sounded like the door!"

"I don't know! Just hurry up and off the kid so we can get out of here!"

The first Berserker raises the knife back above his head, as if to bring it down on Hiccup's defenseless form, but gasps in shock when a huge, brightly colored spear suddenly jabs into the ground in front of him. He staggers away, gaping at the spine.

Stormfly squawks, furiously where she hovers outside the window. Astrid smirks at them before hopping in through the opening and landing between them and Hiccup.

"Stormfly, spine shot!" She commands.

The Nadderhead obeys, firing another spine at the Berserkers, forcing them even further from her Rider. The men exchange conflicted looks. Two of them versus an angry dragon and her even angrier Rider? Those odds don't exactly look good...

While they're distracted, Astrid glances over her shoulder. She sighs in relief to see she isn't too late. Hiccup is still in his bed, looking like he's trying to wake up. Toothless is laying on the floor beside him, also struggling to move. She notices the smoking packet of dragon nip in the corner and picks it up, quickly wrapping it in a sheet and shoving it under the bed, hoping to suppress its intoxicating effects on the woozy Night Fury.

Hiccup blinks and shakes his head, gradually working the fuzziness out. "Astrid?" He asks, now that he's sure he isn't seeing things. "What's happening?"

Her eyes are already on him. Evidently, she was talking to him a second ago. But his hearing has only just decided to work properly.

"What...?" He asks, his voice sounding distant and confused.

"I said, snap out of it!" She growls, jabbing a finger at the two men who have recovered from their confliction and are drawing their swords, preparing to fight. "Can you get up?"

Hiccup pushes himself into a sitting position, grimacing a little as the pain gets more defined, along with the rest of his senses. "Yeah." He assures her, even though just sitting up hurts quite a lot.

She nods and throws a look to Toothless. He's still wobbling, his eyes fluttering dangerously. No way he'll be able to carry Hiccup... She shakes her head. "You need to go find Gobber." She tells him, eyeing the two Berserkers nervously. If they were outside, Stormfly could take them down, no problem. But she's trapped in tight quarters and her dragon won't be able to fit. Not to mention using spine shots or fire could potentially injure her or Toothless, as well. Basically, it's one teenage girl against two fully grown, armed men. Her only hope is that Hiccup is able to get to the blacksmith in time...

He stares at her for a moment, still slighty fuzzy-brained. His thoughts are moving at a snail's pace and his body won't be able to carry him much faster. It's like everything is moving in slow motion...

"Hiccup!" Astrid shouts, yanking him back into reality. "Get moving!"

At the sound of the acidic shout, the world jolts back to its normal pace. He can see the two armed Berserkers glaring her down, Stormfly buzzing outside the window, Toothless collapsed to the floor. What on earth happened while he was out?! He forces himself to his feet, staggering a bit but ignores his aching body as he runs for the window.

"Stormfly!" He shouts, gaining the dragon's attention. "Lower me to the ground."

She chirps, bowing her head so he can climb on. He does so with an enormous amount of pain but still manages to stay focused. Biting back the oddly tempting idea of just letting his tired mind be enveloped in the darkness again, he shakes it off and slides out of the saddle, landing on the ground with a muted thump.

"Protect Astrid until I get back!" He tells the Nadderhead.

Stormfly warbles in response and shoots back up to the window to guard her Rider as Hiccup sprints as fast as his weakened legs will carry him. He shakes the stars away when they reappear and sets his focal point on the blacksmith's forge, a few hundred yards away.

_I can do this! _He tells himself as darkness dances on the edges of his vision. He feels something warm trickle down the front of his shirt. Looking down, he finds the bandage that has been wrapped around his injury is seeping crimson once again. _I can do this! Astrid needs help! Think about Astrid...!_

The Forge is now only a little ways away.

His sight blurs but he shakes it off. _Think about Astrid... _ He grabs for the handle, fumbling as his tunnel-vision tricks him into grabbing a few inches to the right of it. He finally snatches it into his grip and yanks the door open. "GOBBER!" He shouts as he staggers inside, clenching his screaming wound. He supports himself on the edge of the counter and shouts for his mentor again. "GOBBER, ARE YOU HERE?!"

The peg-legged vikings hobbles around the corner, gaping at Hiccup's slumped figure standing in the doorway. "Hiccup!" He gasps, rushing forward to help the boy. "What are you doing here, lad? You should be-"

"It's Astrid!" Hiccup interrupts him, shaking off Gobber's hand. "You need to help her! There are..." His voice trails off for a moment as his train of thought suddenly greys over. "...Berserkers." He blinks, squeezing his eyes shut as he tries to clear them. "She's under attack...needs...help."

Gobber stares at the delirious teen with wide, concerned eyes. Surely, he's only suffering from the blood loss...but what if he isn't? What if Astrid really is in danger? It could be risky leaving Hiccup on his own in this condition...

"Gobber...!" Hiccup gasps, glaring at him with re-focused eyes. He's not hallucinating all of this, is he? "What are you doing?! Astrid needs your help!"

The blacksmith nods. "Alright, I'll go check it out." He assures him. "But first, let me help you. You look like you're going to collapse..."

"I'm alright..." Hiccup mutters, swatting his hand away again. "Or I will be as soon as you go help Astrid!" He leans the rest of his weight on the counter and nods his head toward the door. "Hurry up, she won't be able to hold them off for long!"

Gobber nods. "Stay here, Hiccup. I'll be back before you know it." With that, he grabs an axe off the wall and runs out the door, in the direction of the Haddock house.

Hiccup sighs in relief. The injured boy limps across the room and flops onto a stool, leaning his head against the wall. He doesn't remove his hand from his stomach, not wanting to see the amount of blood that feels so slippery and warm against his skin. Instead, he closes his eyes against those incessant dots that cloud his sight and focuses on staying awake. He really is tired of passing out. Despite everything that's going on, he smiles. Astrid will be okay. Gobber is going to help her. Plus, she has Toothless and Stormfly too.

_Toothless... _He bites his lip and opens his eyes again. His vision is clearer than before but that doesn't matter to him anymore. _Thinking back...he seemed sorta' out-of-it...I hope he's okay... _Hiccup frowns at the ground, worrying about his friend. _Maybe I should- _He tries to stand, only to have his knees immediately buckle and send him right back down onto his chair again. Wincing in pain, he shakes his head. _Sorry, buddy...I wish I could help you...but it doesn't look like I can walk any further..._

* * *

_**A/N: HA! No cliffhangers this time...well, not really. I guess that could be considered a cliffhanger...hmm...nah. I'll just say it's not one. XD**_


	18. Being Alive

_**Chapter Eighteen**_

_**A/N: Okay so...apparently this is the second to last chapter. WOW! (I hadn't anticipated it going this quickly!)**_

_**But I just wanted to say: This has been a wonderful adventure for me and I'm so happy you guys enjoyed it so much! Thanks for sticking around and putting up with my antics, as well as leaving all those wonderful reviews. **_

_**This chapter might be a tear-jerker...I don't know. (It's hard to tell when you're the writer sometimes...plus, I don't cry at movies/books so...meh. You tell me.)**_

_**The whole time I was writing this, I was listening to the HTTYD ost "Where's Hiccup" so...DRAMA INCOMING!**_

* * *

"Take that, ya' brute!" Gobber barks as he slams the butt of his axe over the last Berserker's head. The enemy soldier crumples to the floor under the weight of the blow, right beside his fallen companion. The burly viking nods, satisfied. He claps his hands together as if to dust them off and flashes a smirk at Astrid. She is standing in the corner, where Gobber found her when he first arrived. A rather uncomfortable looking cut runs along her left cheek, trickling blood down her chin. "Are you alright, Astrid?" He asks.

The blonde girl nods. "This is nothing..." She says, wiping some of the blood off with her thumb. "Where's Hiccup?"

"I left him at the Forge. It didn't look like he could walk anymore..."

She frowns but seems to understand why he left him behind. "Let's go find him before something else happens."

Gobber nods at her. "Good idea."

Toothless, who has started to recover from the effects of the dragon nip, also stands up. He shakes his head, as if to clear it from the fog and coos at them. Astrid smiles and motions for him to follow them.

"Come on, boy. Let's go get Hiccup."

* * *

Astrid's boots crunch through the snow as she runs toward the blacksmith shop. Toothless is several feet in front of her, his green eyes focused on the building where his Rider is. He lifts his nose and sniffs the air, his eyes growing wide as he suddenly picks up pace. Seeing this, Astrid's expression turns grim. That can't be good, she decides.

Seconds later, they burst into the front door of the Forge. Astrid immediately calls Hiccup's name. She looks around, furiously...her eyes falling on the battered figure in the far corner. Hiccup is asleep, his broken body resting against the wall. Or...is he? She draws closer, noticing the deathly pale coloring of his skin, the dark bags beneath his eyes, the blood-stained bandage around his stomach... Could it be...? She kneels down in front of him, reaching out with a shaking hand. A shiver goes through her when she touches him. So cold... "H...Hiccup?" She asks, gently shaking his shoulder. "Hey, wake up."

He doesn't respond. His head lulls, limply to the side when she moves him.

"Hiccup...?" She whispers, her voice trembling.

Toothless whimpers, his ears going back as he cringes toward the floor. It can't be... No...

"Hiccup...please." She takes his other shoulder and moves closer, her hands shaking violently. Her eyes sting with the tears that are welling up inside them. "Please don't do this...wake up. Come on..."

He remains perfectly still, his eyes closed. If he is breathing, it's too shallow...she can't see his chest moving.

"No..." She shuts her eyes, not caring that tears spill onto her cheeks. Her breaths hitch and she leans her head against his motionless chest, wrapping her arms around his shoulder. "Hiccup...please wake up..."

Gobber leans his face in his hand, slowly shaking his head at the anguish that fills the room. How did this happen...? And to Hiccup of all people...

Astrid sobs against her friend's body, refusing to believe it. No way... Not Hiccup. But she cries anyway because the evidence is right in front of her. He's just too cold, too still. She vaguely hears Toothless's own mournful whimpers, as well as another noise. She can't quite place it, but right now, she doesn't care. It sounds like whispering. Is someone else here? She holds Hiccup as close as she possibly can, practically cradling him in her arms as more tears flow down her cheeks. Gods... What is she going to do now...? What will she tell Stoick...? What about-

She nearly jumps at the sound of the whispering again. Pulling a bit away from Hiccup, she glances out the window. No one is there. So where did it come from? She can still hear it, slightly. Looking back, she notices Toothless's ears are perked. He hears it too...

"Astrid...?"

Her breath catches. The whispering is... She almost doesn't want to look down. She's so afraid she's wrong...that she's fooling herself...or going crazy. But...it sounded like... "HICCUP!" She cries.

His tired, green eyes are open. A weak little smile tugs at the corner of his lips. "Are you crying...?"

Every eye in the room shoots up, hearing his voice. Toothless jumps to his feet, staring at his Rider in shock.

"Hiccup...!" She sobs again. Only this time, it's not from sorrow. Butterflies dance in her stomach as she laughs in relief. "Oh gods..." She breathes, throwing her arms around his shoulders again. "You scared me to death...don't ever do that again...!" She feels him chuckle beneath her.

"Sorry...I didn't mean to..." He reaches up with a heavy feeling arm and brushes a tear from her cheek. "I didn't think it would be so hard to wake up..." He admits.

She only smiles, brushing a strand of his hair out of his sleepy eyes. "I guess it's okay then..." She jokes. "I won't punch you this time..."

He smirks. "Thanks."

After a moment of thought, she leans down and kisses him. His lips are as cold as the rest of him but she doesn't mind. He's alive... Hiccup's alive... Being this close, she can feel his shallow, gasping breaths as they escape him but just barely. If he wasn't talking to her, she would probably still think he's dead... That thought chills her to the bone. She pulls away, smiling gently at the dreamy look on his face as he looks at her.

"What was that for...?" He wonders, grinning.

She laughs. "Just for being alive..."

* * *

Soft, morning light gleams in through the windows of the Haddock house. Astrid, Gobber and Stoick are sitting in the main room, warming themselves by the fire as it crackles, throwing little glowing embers into the air. Toothless is curled up beside them, seeming more relaxed than he has for days.

"So...now what?" Astrid asks, slowly. "What about Dagur...are we just gonna let him off the hook after what he did to Hiccup?"

"Of course not." Stoick replies immediately. "He'll pay for what he's done...but for now, I want to stay here and care for my son. He's more important that finding Dagur."

Astrid nods. For a while, they all sit in silence. That is, until they hear the sound of footsteps coming downstairs. Astrid jumps up, eager to hear what Gothi has to say. Or, well, what _Gobber _has to _translate_...

The old woman hobbles into the main room and stops beside them. Gobber gets up as well and goes over to her, prepared to translate whatever she writes. However, his talents aren't needed. Gothi smiles at Astrid and nods her wrinkled head.

Hiccup is going to pull through.

* * *

_**A/N: So yeah, not a whole lot of 'action' in this chapter...but I liked it, regardless. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the conclusion! (As well as the sequel, entitled Escarpment)**_


	19. Epilogue

_**Chapter Nineteen**_

_**A/N: Well, here we are. Last chapter. Thank you all for sticking around and reading the story. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the amount of support, reviews, favorites and follows I got while writing this! **_

_**The sequel "Escarpment" will be posted soon enough (maybe tomorrow, maybe not. It's hard to tell.) I'll keep you guys updated as it comes along.**_

_**Also, really long chapter! Because why not? XD**_

_**One more thing! I hate to admit it because this IS the last chapter...but it might sound a little awkward. I have a little bit of writer's block but not enough to stop me from writing... I went ahead and finished the chapter because I wanted to update but, just a heads up, it might sound weird...**_

* * *

Darkness. All he can see is darkness. He feels oddly warm, although it's clear to him this heat is coming from another source. Not a fire, it's not _that_ hot. No...this is a living warmth. He can feel a heart beating against his own chest, soft breaths whispering across his cheek.

Hiccup draws in a breath, a deep one. The amount of relief he feels from it tells him he must have been breathing shallowly in his sleep. He vaguely hears a sound as well but it's muffled. He can't tell what it is.

He tries to move but his body feels too heavy. Like something is holding him down. Panic starts to build in his stomach. What happened? Where is he? He remembers the Berserkers, how he ran to find Gobber, how he stayed behind in the Forge and eventually fell asleep. Was he captured? Has Dagur managed to take him away? Somewhere quiet and secluded so no one will ever find him...

His heart begins to pump faster. Adrenaline rushes through his veins as his mind clears up a bit. As he begins to wake up a bit more, his hearing focuses in on the sound. He can now make it out to be a voice. A girl's voice.

_"Hiccup...please don't do this...please wake up..."_

Wait...is that...Astrid? Oh gods...did they capture her too?!

_"Hiccup please..."_

She sounds so desperate. Like she's on the verge of tears. What have they done to her?! Hiccup suddenly doesn't care how tired he is or how leaden his body feels. He needs to make sure she isn't hurt.

_"No...Hiccup...please wake up...!"_

Suddenly, that mysterious warmth grows warmer. He feels a pair of hands clutching him, another body pressed close to his. Astrid starts to sob, loudly. He hands grip him so hard he's sure they'll leave bruises. He can plainly hear her crying, feel the wetness of tears soaking his tunic.

Swallowing the dryness of his throat, he tries to say something to her. But all that escapes is a broken whisper. He's sure she didn't hear it. Hiccup silently curses himself, gulping again and opens his mouth. This time, his voice is slightly louder. No words form, just another weak sound...but Astrid hears it. Her body goes stiff and she sits up. Does she know he's awake? She doesn't say anything...

The amount of light that pours in through his heavy eyelids is nearly blinding. He blinks several times as he adjusts to the sunlight. It really is Astrid... And they haven't been captured! He recognizes the Forge immediately. But...wait...why is Astrid crying then? Does she think he's... Hiccup inwardly groans, realizing his mistake. She thought he was dead. He must look the part... He tries one more time to speak to her. This time, it works. "Astrid...?" His voice cracks, pathetically but she doesn't seem to mind.

As soon as the word leaves his lips, Astrid whirls around to stare at him. Her cerulean eyes rimmed with red, her cheeks soaked with tears. She _was_ crying! Gods, he's _so stupid_!

She looks directly into his eyes and seems to see something inside them. Her breath catches and her eyes well up again. Only this time, a relieved smile graces her lips. "HICCUP!" She cries, excitedly and throws her arms around his neck.

Chuckling a little, he asks her, "Are you crying?"

She doesn't answer his question. She only returns it with a laugh of her own. She whispers his name, her own voice breaking with gleeful relief. "Oh gods...you scared me to death! Don't ever do that again!" She demands, tightening her grip on him.

He snickers again. "Sorry...I didn't think it would be so hard to wake up..." He remembers how hard he tried to stay awake but it was inevitable. That accursed darkness was relentless, pushing and prodding until he gave up and let his eyes fall closed.

"I guess it's okay then..." She murmurs against his shoulder. "I won't punch you this time..."

He smirks. "Thanks..."

Without warning, Astrid suddenly pulls away from him. There's an odd look on her face, one he's never seen before... It's almost intimidating. That is, until she cups his face in her hand and kisses him. He gasps, his breaths suddenly turning short again. A shiver runs through him and his mind goes blank. How does she do this?! Every time it's the same! Astrid kisses him and he just..._falls apart_. It's both irritating...and wonderful at the same time.

When Astrid finally pulls away, she's smiling at him.

"What was that for...?" He wonders dreamily, still recovering from her kiss.

She grins. "Just for being alive..."

Hiccup smirks at her, about to apologize for scaring her. It's only then that he notices the two other presences in the room. Directly behind Astrid, are Toothless and Gobber. The Night Fury wiggles his butt and coos, loudly when Hiccup sees him, causing the boy to laugh. Astrid turns around and smiles sheepishly at them. Her arms are still wrapped around Hiccup's shoulders. She's almost cradling him...

Toothless suddenly jumps up and runs over, apparently tired of waiting his turn. The dragon purrs and mews happily as he licks his Rider's cheek once, twice, three times... Hiccup finally has to raise his arms to ward off the Night Fury's affection.

"Okay! Okay!" He laughs. "I got it! I'm glad to see you too, bud..." He scratches the dragon's ear and Toothless purrs, nuzzling into Hiccup's hand.

Astrid smiles at them. "I hate to ruin the moment, but we really should get you home, Hiccup." She says, once again taking notice of the large blood stain on the front of his tunic. "It looks like your wound has reopened..."

Hiccup frowns at it, wondering why he can't feel any pain. Is he really that numb...? "Well, to be fair, it never really closed..."

Gobber comes over to inspect the injury. "She's right, Hiccup. Let's get you home and patched up." The blacksmith ushers Toothless and Astrid away. He scoops Hiccup into his arms and heads for the door.

"Wait..." Hiccup mutters. "Are the Berserkers gone?"

Gobber nods. "Don't worry about that, lad. While we were coming to find you, I told Bucket and Mulch to go collect them. They're in jail, waiting for your father to return."

Hiccup shrinks down at the thought of his father. What will he do when he finds out Dagur tried to have him assassinated...? Whatever he does, it won't be pleasant for those two Berserkers...

* * *

Hiccup flinches as Gothi wraps another layer of bandages around his waist. This makes how many layers? Four? Five? He wishes she would just stop because he's _definitely _not numb anymore that _really _hurts! Finally, the old woman stops and steps back from him, as if allowing him some breathing room. She guides his shoulders down onto the bed, telling him to rest. Then, she reaches into her satchel and pulls out a little packet of herbs. She sets it on the nightstand before turning back to Hiccup.

Her hand feels warm against his forehead when she touches it, making sure he doesn't have a fever. Seeming satisfied with that, she pulls away. Gothi offers him an appeased smile. He'll be just fine.

"Thanks, Gothi." Hiccup says, laying a hand over his aching body.

She nods and walks downstairs. Not two seconds later, he hears several other pairs of feet hurrying up the steps. Toothless appears first, his emerald eyes wide and excited as he bounces around the room, droning and warbling with joy.

Astrid comes in after him and immediately goes to Hiccup, sits down on the edge of his bed and hugs him. Her relief is nearly tangible. "I guess it all worked out in the end..." He isn't sure if she's talking to herself or him but he nods anyway.

_I guess it did..._

Gobber's booming laugh fills the room as he appears. Hiccup's mentor smacks him on the back, grinning from ear to ear. "Gothi was up here for so long I was beginning to wonder if you needed another rescuing!"

"Yeah..." Hiccup smirks, rolling his eyes at the insinuation. "She's a real chatter box." All three of them laugh.

When Stoick comes in, the mood entirely changes. Astrid backs off a little and Toothless jumps down from his perch in the rafters. The dragon tilts his head, curious what his Rider's father will say.

However, Stoick doesn't stop in the entryway as he usually does. He barges straight into the room and over to Hiccup until he's looming above the injured boy, looking almost frightening. Or, he would look frightening if not for the relief that is shining in his eyes and the smile plastered on his face.

"My boy..." He whispers. Stoick envelopes his son in a near bone-crushing embrace. "I'm so sorry." He says. "I should have been here. Those Berserkers wouldn't have been able to-"

"Dad, it's okay." Hiccup says, squirming slightly at the pain in his stomach. "You couldn't have known. And what's important is that no one died, right?"

Stoick pulls away, smiling at his son. "You're right." He says, tussling Hiccup's hair. "Dagur failed. And that's what matters."

"Speaking of Dagur..." Astrid mumbles, suddenly looking distressed. "What are we going to do about him...? I mean...not to be rude or anything but...it's not like he's going to back off, is he?"

Stoick frowns. "No, I don't think he will."

Hiccup tenses at the thought of him. He lowers his head so no one will notice the fear on his face. He doesn't want to be afraid of Dagur...but he can't help it. The man has tried to kill him several times...and almost succeed every time. Now Hiccup can't help but shudder at the thought of him...

"He'll come back again..." Stoick continues. "Unless we find him first."

Hiccup's head snaps up again, looking confused. "You're going to look for him?"

"Of course we are!" Gobber cuts in. "He tried to off you, boy! He deserves to be thrown in prison for the rest of his life! Unless, of course, I get my hook in him...he won't be so fortunate if that happens."

Astrid notices the freaked look on her friend's face and places a comforting hand on his shoulder. She knows this isn't what Hiccup wants. He doesn't want to put his family in danger just to avenge him...but he also has to understand that they're not doing it to satisfy him. They're going after Dagur for selfish reasons. He almost took Hiccup away from them... It will make _them_ feel better to have him under lock and key. Or under the ground. Whichever comes first.

Hiccup swallows hard and bows his head again, despite Astrid's comforting touch. He doesn't want to think about his family or friends getting anywhere near Dagur the Deranged... It sickens him to the core. Of course, there is one bit of information he needs to know. "When...?" He squeaks.

Stoick shakes his head slowly. "No time soon. For now, I want to stay here and make sure you recover before I go tramping off again."

Hiccup offers him a lop-sided smile. "Thanks."

Suddenly, Stoick gets up. "And I'm upping the security around the island. I want no unauthorized ships landing on our shores! The next time the Berserkers attack, it might not end so well..."

Hiccup nods, sullenly. He's not entirely sure what his father means by 'upping the security' but he's got the feeling some things are about to change on Berk. Maybe forever...

* * *

_** "**__This is Berk. Since our war with the dragons, times have been pretty peaceful. Until recently, of course. We might not be in an official war with Beserkers but the truce feels flimsy. They're going to attack again soon. And as much as I want to believe that we'll be able to hold them off, I know that, eventually, they'll get in. One way or another. I need to be ready when they do..."_

* * *

"Sir."

Dagur glances up from his map, written in the dirt. There's a foul expression on his face. "What is it?" He demands.

"We got the information you asked for." The other Berserker holds out the form of a dead pigeon in his hand. Tied around its leg, is a note...

Dagur nods and takes the note, unfurling it...he smirks. "Well done." He says, grinning at the soldier.

"What are your orders, sir?"

Dagur slips the intercepted document into his pocket. "Pack up. We're moving out tonight."

"What shall I tell the captains?"

Dagur's tone is nearly humorous when he says, "Tell them...we're headed for the mainlands..."

* * *

_**A/N: And there you have it... *evil grin*. I even have cliffhangers on the last chapter! XD**_


End file.
